


the heat of the fever chills the bones

by strawberrykiwicaprisun



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alpha!Tyler, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Biting, Bonding, Derogatory Language, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Omega!Josh, Possessive Behavior, Rough Sex, Scenting, Smut, rut cycles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:01:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 40,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24132499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrykiwicaprisun/pseuds/strawberrykiwicaprisun
Summary: Tyler finds out.
Relationships: Jenna Black/Tyler Joseph, Josh Dun/Debby Ryan, Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph
Comments: 77
Kudos: 158





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tyler finds out.

The thing was he totally planned on telling Tyler about his status. Honest. The first time they met under the exit sign of the bar “twenty one pilots” were performing in, he knew he could trust Tyler with all of his secrets including that of his status. 

Tyler wasn’t a very obvious alpha, more slender and shy than the stereotype, and Josh was more built and courageous than the omega stereotype. Josh was so star struck and caught up in rambling to Tyler about his music that his omega status wasn’t exactly a priority in the conversation with a practical stranger even if Josh felt as though he knew Tyler his whole life the first time he laid eyes on him. 

He vowed to tell him the next time they hung out a month later, already knowing in his heart that they would become best friends. But then they stayed up till the sun had begun to rise making up an intricate handshake and the topic of status just never came up. Josh only remembered he was going to tell him after Tyler had fallen asleep on the couch. As he quietly closed Tyler’s front door on his way out, Josh promised himself that he would tell Tyler when the time was right. 

The first time they kissed certainly felt like an important time to tell him but not necessarily the right time. It was after their biggest show at the Newport, after label execs had come backstage to meet them and discuss the possibility of a contract with their band, after they finally got a moment to themselves to change, Josh had been the one to initiate it, delirious with a cocktail of adrenaline and pure joy that their band was taking off he didn’t even think before pulling him close and planting one on him. He intended it to be chaste but Tyler didn’t let him step back, chasing and throwing his arms around Josh’s neck. They could barely stop grinning through the whole thing. Until guilt settled in Joshs stomach. Tyler still thought he was a beta. 

But even after they separated Josh couldn’t bring himself to ruin the moment by telling him his secret. He knew he should’ve said something then. Before they got a contract and promised albums and tours because of course management would have to know to schedule time around Josh’s heats and- Tyler kisses him again and Josh’s mind goes blank and he forgets. 

Turns out he didn’t need to tell anybody but Mark. Mark alone was able and willing to help hide his status and it felt good to have someone in his corner.

He really truly intended to tell Tyler before the first time they had sex. But Tyler was also stellar at rendering Josh’s brain to jello so really it wasn’t his fault. Really it was actually Tyler’s fault for not realizing he was an omega while Josh was taking it up the ass, but sometimes Tyler lived up to the “single braincell alpha” stereotype. There was no way Tyler could’ve known Josh’s status by scent alone, what with the suppressants he’d been religiously taking since 18 and the scent neutralizing spray and body wash. But still sometimes Josh sweated through the neutralizer.

“You smell really good. .... is that weird?” Tyler had asked in the middle of a fumbling and clumsy handjob in the back of the van. Josh held his breath to see if Tyler would come to the realization himself. Betas weren’t supposed to smell good to alphas. Betas weren’t even supposed to really be able to smell like anything let alone smell other status’ and yet here Josh was practically gagging for it by just tucking his nose into Tyler’s neck. Tyler never caught on.

His guilt only increased when sex became a regular thing. He would open his mouth to tell the truth but images of fans and onlookers belittling him for his status, getting the bands contract terminated because he lied about his status or if by some miracle they were able to keep their contract, the roadies would undoubtedly think of Tyler as his handler, no matter how much Tyler pronounced their equal status in interviews, Josh was technically lesser. Beta or omega. At least as a beta he wouldn’t be called a whore. Tyler never treated anybody as below him no matter what. Rationally Josh knew that. They had both grown up in progressive households, but the more people that knew, the riskier it was. 

They had sex a total of twelve times before Josh had to put an end to it, unable to assuage his guilt of hiding his status from Tyler while also being in an intimate relationship, he begun to avoid taking it any further with Tyler until the alpha understood the message loud and clear. They never talked about Josh’s sudden change of heart about their being something more, Tyler had backed off immediately with a respectful hand and nothing had changed in their friendship, which Josh was infinitely grateful for. 

He swore he would tell Tyler after that. But time sort of got away from him. 6 months later Jenna had started coming around. An alpha no less- to help Tyler with his ruts every 3 months, and Josh felt a surge of jealousy in his gut that he didn’t know what to do with. Despite wanting to hate Jenna he couldn’t. She was really nice and it did help ease Josh’s inner omega knowing Tyler and Jenna couldn’t ever bond because of their matching status’. He put his jealousy towards getting some help of his own. Another alpha named Debby.

As it turns out he didn’t have to tell Debby his status because she was too smart to not pick up on the subtle omega inflections of his character. The way he arranged his bed into a nest everytime he was upset was the dead giveaway. Truth be told he was relieved he didn’t have to tell her. She took care of him during his heats every four months and she was so good at it. She respected his choice to keep his status a secret and was happy to disguise Josh taking time off for his heats by saying he was helping her through her ruts.

So now he felt it was too late to say anything to Tyler. It’d been over three years since Josh joined the band, almost two years since he put an end to anything more than friendship between them, and resigned himself to just lying forever. If he told Tyler now? Tyler  
would feel betrayed. Right? He had a right to feel that way. Mark and Debby dutifully kept his secret, although he could live without Mark’s judgemental looks over the situation.

And this is where it all went to shit. He’s going to be forced to finally tell Tyler the truth. In a random hallway underneath a nondescript club in a large city, very very far away from home, a week before the tour was scheduled to end. Because he was stupid enough to let himself get trapped in an alpha command- something he couldn’t disobey because of his stupid biology.

To be fair, it could’ve happened to anyone but of course he just had to be the one that got stopped by a very chatty stagehand. The man was an alpha, bolstering on a story about how he had picked up a “little omega” up at a bar last week, unaware of Josh’s disinterest in the rather genderist story and unaware of Josh’s status as an omega. Josh had practically spaced out completely, leaned casually against the concrete wall and focusing on a hole in the ceiling when-

“And then I told her, stay right there little omega.” The alpha had recalled his words in a command while pointing at Josh, and he felt his body go rigid, praying that the man hadn’t noticed. “And she looks up at me with these big doe eyes begging me to release her from the command.” The man laughed, completely oblivious that he’d inadvertently commanded Josh to stay put while telling his story, and Josh would be damned if he was going to be outed because of him. It was mostly easy to play off, he was already leaning against the wall, but he was desperately trying to not let the panic show on his face. He nodded along at all the appropriate parts of the story, halfhearted smiles and chuckles until after ten painfully still minutes, it was thankfully over. Dumb as bricks, the man gave him a fist bump before fucking off down the hall leaving Josh stranded and unable to move from his spot.

‘This is it. I’m gonna die here.’ He thought to himself. He’d heard stories of omegas breaking an alphas command under extreme distress, but he doubted he could do it. He shuffled a little, feeling his skin crawl at the mere suggestion of disobeying the command and swallowed thickly. They had a show in three hours. What was he going to do?? Mark was a beta so that would be of no use, Michael was an alpha, but he was back home already. He definitely wasn’t going to ask a stranger for help. Begrudgingly he pulled out his phone, looking to the sky and praying for a miracle before he was forced to call Tyler face his secret head on.

Of course Tyler had picked up on the first ring.

“Do you think pet bears are legal in Ohio?” Tyler wasn’t the type to say hello, jumping right into conversation.

“Where are you?” Josh ignored his statement.

He must’ve sounded more upset than he realized because Tyler grew serious in an instant.

“What’s wrong? Where are you?” The alpha countered.

“Nothing. Can you just come to me? I’m in a hallway somewhere underneath the club.” Josh’s voice wobbled and he cursed his nature.

“I’m on my way, stay right there.” Tyler hung up before he could hear Josh’s hysterical laugh at the irony of his words.

Tyler looked relieved when he saw Josh casually leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, but on the inside Josh was anything but. Revealing your biggest secret to your best friend tended to be nerve racking.

“Josh?” Tyler called out hesitantly, coming to stand a step in front of him. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Um.” Josh swore as his eyes betrayed him and started watering. “I just. I can’t.” Josh gritted his teeth and looked anywhere but at his best friend.

“Can’t what? Josh you can tell me anything.” Tyler said seriously, taking a step closer.

He took a deep breath before whispering. “I can’t move.” Josh refused to take his eyes off his shoes.

“You can’t move?” Tyler’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t make me say it, Tyler.” Josh shuffled again, feeling a spike of nausea go through him.

“I don’t understand.” 

Tyler was being too nice.

“I need you to tell me to move.” 

“What?”

Josh looked up from the floor.

“I was listening to a stupid alpha tell a story about how he thought it was funny to command omegas to stay still and he used his voice while retelling it and now I’m fucking stuck, Tyler, get me out of this.” Josh ground his teeth, watching his friends mind try to catch up with what he’d heard.

“You- what?” Tyler’s voice raised an octave.

“I’m an omega. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but please-“

“Come here.” Tyler commanded in his voice and Josh was helpless to step forward into Tyler’s embrace.

He let one sob escape. Angry at his biology and angry for lying to his best friend for so long.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tyler sighed.

“Because of stuff like this!” Josh didn’t mean for the words to spit out of his mouth so harshly.

Tyler took a step back and frowned.

“You don’t think I’d ever do this to you.”

“Of course not! I was going to tell you but I was scared! I didn’t want anybody finding out, not just you!” 

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

“I’m your best friend! We tell each other everything! You made me think I was broken for liking a beta!” Tyler’s voice begun to rise.

“That’s why I broke it off because I couldn’t take lying to you anymore. Telling people my status puts our career at stake!” Josh shot back.

“Nobody knows?”

“Mark does.” Josh acquiesced.

“You told Mark before you told me? What the fuck Josh, I’m already insecure enough as an alpha!”

“This isn’t about you!” Josh dared to yell.

Tyler bared his teeth and growled at Josh’s tone. Josh cursed as his head snapped to the side to bare his throat automatically. Tyler clamped his jaw shut as soon as the warning had left his mouth. Josh knew Tyler wasn’t thinking but the action still stung. The alpha turned to storm off and worry settled in Josh’s gut. 

“Alpha!”

Tyler stopped in his tracks but didn’t look behind him.

It was a cheap shot. Josh knew it was cheap but it was the only way he knew that he could stop Tyler from leaving him. He was equal parts desperate and disgusted that he had resorted to it. It wasn’t as strong as a command, but he knew an alphas innate sense to protect omegas would make Tyler listen to him.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I was just trying to protect myself.” Josh clenched his fists. “Don’t leave me.” He tacked on, wincing at how pitiful the words sounded coming out of his mouth.

Tyler sighed. 

“I’m not going to leave you, Josh.”

He sounded disappointed and somehow that was worse than anger.

Tyler walked off anyway, leaving Josh alone in the hallway. If he had just lost his best friend, at least he had his autonomy back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying something way out of my comfort zone by attempting to write an abo au. Had to do a lot of abo fic reading within other fandoms to get a good grasp of the au, I hope I’m able to do it justice in the Joshler fandom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting up and making up.

Five days later and their final show behind them, Tyler was still acting as if the whole thing hadn’t happened. Josh could see the underlying tension beneath Tyler’s smiles and laughs. Between awkward fist bumps before going onstage and uneasy pats on the back as they celebrated the end of their tour, Josh was starting to believe that Tyler would never forgive him. But he’d be damned if he was going to be the one to crawl back to Tyler and beg for them to talk it out.

As far as Mark was concerned Josh had nothing to apologize for, and he demanded that the both of them meet up and make up or he’d quit. Tyler and Josh both knew he was bluffing, but the threat gave them an excuse to talk without being named as the first one to cave.

Three days into their break, it was decided that they would have a video game night at Tyler’s newly bought home in Columbus, just the two of them and Josh was more than a little nervous as he climbed up the concrete steps to to the wraparound porch of Tyler’s place. He took a moment to steal himself, breath fogging in the sharp winter air.

The door opened before he could even raise his hand to knock, and the alpha stood there wrapped in a warm hoodie and genuine smile despite the tense air between them.

“Were you going to stand there until you turned into a popsicle? Get in here dude.”

Josh hesitantly returned the smile and shuffled on the door mat, wiping the snow off the soles of his shoes, and whispering a quiet “thanks.” as Tyler motioned him inside.

Immediately Josh was taken with how the house smelled overwhelmingly like Tyler. There were underlying hints of sheetrock due to the house being newly built and also traces of blueberries but mostly he was encompassed by Tyler’s scent, rich and bitter like dark chocolate. He willed himself to not feel so safe, surrounded in the comforting and familiar scent of him.

“I got Mario Kart set up in the living room but I waited to pick out snacks, I thought you’d want to browse the pantry yourself.”

Tyler lead him through the kitchen and motioned to a pantry that was bigger than the studio they’d recorded Vessel in. A single lightbulb clicked on overhead.

“Jenna keeps it well stocked even when she isn’t here.” Tyler plucked a bag of m&m’s from a candy basket on one of the shelves.

So that’s what the blueberry scent was. Jenna. 

“So, things are pretty serious between you guys then? Buying a house together...” Josh trailed off and stuck his nose in a basket filled with different types of sour candy to hide his face.

“It’s just my house. We’re friends, we help each other out.” Tyler avoided the elephant in the room.

When he turned around Tyler was standing closer to him than before, and suddenly the pantry felt a lot smaller than it was.

“You smell different.” Tyler stated bluntly, eyes curious.

Josh scoffed and stepped out of the enclosed space and into the kitchen in order to generate some space between the two of them, Tyler’s scent clouding his head.

“It’s, uh, my natural scent. I didn’t see a reason to continue using beta body wash around you since, you know,  **_you know_**.”  Josh twisted a bag of skittles in his hand and shrugged.

“Yeah about that, Josh. Mark talked to me, and well- he more like yelled to me-“

Josh snorted.

“-And he was right when he said that I made this whole thing about me when really you had every right to not tell me.”

“You also have a right to be made at me though.”

“Not really. I should’ve supported you instead of avoiding you after you told me.”

“Yeah. I wish you would’ve.” Josh sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair, now a faded blue. “You don’t know how it feels, to have your body completely controlled and policed by somebody else with just a simple word. Not even your own mind being strong enough to control the body it’s in. It’s violating and it makes you feel so weak and helpless which-“

“Is not what you are. Not in the least.” Tyler said firmly. He took a small step forward and reached out, but at the last moment second guessed his actions and let his hand drop to his side. “You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like. I’m sorry, Josh. I was being a self absorbed knothead.”

A little smile quirked in the corner of Josh’s mouth despite himself and he felt the tension in the room drop ten floors.

“Yeah you were. But you did release me after all.” Josh was thankful Tyler wasn’t pitying him at the very least.

“I’m sorry I had to use my voice to do it.”

“I don’t mind being commanded when it’s consensual.”

Josh was rewarded with Tyler inhaling and subsequently choking on an m&m, coughing violently and he laughed loudly at the alpha’s expense. He patted him on the back roughly to help dislodge the offending chocolate candy and Tyler wiped his eyes of stray tears.

“There. Now we’re both even. We’ve both saved each other.” Josh smiled brightly and Tyler returned it tenfold.

“Again.”

Josh gave him an inquisitive look. “Again?”

“You saved me the first night I met you and every day since, Jishwa, status doesn’t change anything. We cool?”

“We’ll be cool after I kick your ass in Mario Kart, dude.”

“As if.” Tyler grumbled but let Josh pull him into a hug anyway. “There’s extra blankets on the couch I’m going to grab another pack of m&m’s.” Tyler sounded suddenly shy as they pulled apart, and Josh realized maybe his scent could affect Tyler as much as Tyler’s could to him.

They parted and Josh was left to wander a bit before stumbling across the living room, open and spacious but decorated with large couches and throw blankets that were surely Jenna’s touch. He started arranging the pillows and blankets into a comfortable order, (hoping) figuring they’d be playing till sunrise just like old times, but stopping when he felt eyes on the back of his head.

“Come on bro, I call Yoshi.” Josh said picking up his controller.

There was a pregnant pause and Tyler didn’t appear in the blanket pallete on the carpeted floor. Josh turned to see the alpha eyeing him warily.

“I can come in?”

“What? It’s your living room.” Josh motioned to the floor and“Oh. I didn’t realize.” Josh couldn’t help the embarrassed blush crawling up his cheeks when he realized he’d unconsciously made a nest out of Tyler’s blankets and pillows. An alphas belongings. And not his alpha.

“S’alright.” Tyler shrugged good-naturedly, his inner alpha secretly prideful that Josh was content enough in his surroundings to make a nest.

“Well get in here then.”

Tyler delicately made his way through the nest, careful to not mess anything up as he settled cross legged next to Josh and picked up his controller, candy forgotten.

“Never been in a nest before.” The alpha confessed, picking his character. Wario of course.

“Really?” Josh looked at him incredulously.

“I mean I don’t think pillow forts with my sister when we were kids counts. She hadn’t even presented as an omega yet then.”

“It doesn’t count at all! Nests have structure and are organized in a specific way. Pillow forts are just chaos!” Josh defended.

Tyler looks around the pallete Josh had created and to him it did just look like chaos, but he knew that to Josh, the arrangement made perfect sense so he bit his tongue. He knew how important nests were to omegas.

He tries to be covert when he realizes Josh’s scent is thicker inside the nest, subtly scratching at his nose, but Josh is hyper aware of his presence, catching the action in his periphery.

“Deb says I smell like whipped cream.”

Tyler ponders thoughtfully for a moment, and Josh passes him on the track while he’s distracted.

“It’s more like Jet Puffed to me.”

“The marshmallow fluff?” Josh chuckles.

“Yeah. Smells good.” Tyler lets slip.

Josh clears his throat and changes the subject. “Closed on a house in L.A.”

“Oh. You and Debby must be getting pretty serious. Buying a house together an all...” Tyler copies Josh’s words from earlier in a more teasing tone.

“It’s my house. We’re friends. We help each other out.” Josh echoes Tyler’s response just as easily.

“So nothing serious?” Tyler prods.

Josh senses Tyler’s protective nature lacing his words.

“What about you and Jenna? Sure smells like blueberries in here.”

“It’s not like that.” Tyler says vaguely referring to the fact that he and Jenna can’t officially bond due to their matching status’ though if they wanted to they could stay together as mates.

“So can I kiss you then?” Josh sets down his controller.

Tyler kisses him first, softly but also with a sense of urgency. Or maybe hunger. It feels so familiar, Tyler’s greedy hands tugging through his hair that Josh lets out a whine of relief at being kissed like this after so long. Both of them get lost in each other easily. The television makes a sad noise signaling that neither of them finished the race. Tyler’s kisses trail lower and lower and disappear under the blanket. Mario Karts bouncy soundtrack is drowned out by Josh’s surprised gasps that turn into melting groans and shuttering cries.

Tyler had always been a very giving lover even in the early and inexperienced start of their relationship years ago, but alphas tended to put their pleasure before their partners. Tyler was an outlier. Josh was one of the lucky few that got to experience Tyler’s enjoyment and satisfaction in indulging his partner before himself.

Josh was more than willing to give in return.

Halfway through sinking down onto Tyler, he paused, thighs shaking and short of breath.

“Maybe I’ll buy a house here in Columbus, too.”

Tyler laughs breathlessly and supports Josh’s hips with his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried tasteful nondescriptive smut


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A light filler chapter with a side of fluff :^)

He does end up getting a house in Columbus too just a few months later, close enough to Tyler’s that he could run there if he wanted to. It was useful to be so close as they put the finishing touches on ‘Blurryface’ and Josh was secretly grateful to have his own place. No matter how much he loved his family, he’d definitely outgrown the twin bed in his childhood bedroom.

They were into the first few weeks of their latest tour when it became apparent that the change in relationship, no matter how platonic they both claimed it to be, was getting harder and harder to keep under wraps.

Of course Mark was especially nosey in the situation. Josh was confronted by the beta as soon as they got a moment to themselves.

The bus was parked at a rest stop and the two of them were settled in the bus kitchen passing back and forth the last can of Red Bull from their fridge, while Tyler was in the station replenishing their stock, the rest of their entourage preferring to stretch their legs outside.

“It’s kind of obvious that  somethings going on when you two reek of each other.” Mark pointed out with a dramatic scrunch if his nose.

Josh was thankful he’d inherited his mother’s patience.

“Can’t just two buds have sex without strings attached?” He defended.

“There were strings attached a few years ago if I recall correctly.”

“That was a few years ago. Casual sex between friends is one thing, feelings are another. It’s too easy to let feelings creep in when you’re “ **together** ” together. Neither of us want to jeopardize the band if those feelings get complicated.” Josh fanned himself with a local newspaper, it was blistering hot even for June, and the bus interior did little to cool them down.

Mark rolled his eyes at him.

“Right. Because being friends with benefits is so simple.”

“It’s just, I don’t know, a release. It’s just to help burn off the nervous energy before we go onstage or the leftover adrenaline after shows.”

Well mostly. There was that time that Mario Kart had turned into comfort sex. And that time they had celebration sex after the album was released. Okay and that time that roughhousing on the green room floor turned into desperate sex. But Mark didn’t need to know that.

“Okay. First of all, gross.” Mark started.

“But besides,” Josh glared at his friend. “We don’t spend our cycles together. It helps ensure we keep work and pleasure completely separate.” Josh rationalized.

Despite the reoccurring sex between them, Tyler hadn’t made any move to stop spending his ruts with Jenna so Josh didn’t see a reasonto let go of Debby either. Mark also didn’t need to know that he and Tyler had never actually had a conversation about spending their cycles with other people. It was more of an unspoken thing as far as Josh knew.

Mark opened his mouth to say more, but the conversation dropped as Tyler barreled onto the bus with an armful of cold Red Bull’s, tan cheeks tinted pink from either excitement or the oppressive sun. Josh was the first one to receive a can, the alpha pressing a cold one to the back of Josh’s neck just to tease him. Josh jumped at the cold sensation, reaching out to punch Tyler’s leg which he easily dodged.

“They only had one sugar free left.” Tyler set the can in front of Josh and Mark pouted.

“Why does he get it?”

“Because he payed for it.” Tyler nudged Josh to scoot over in the booth so he could sit next to him.

It was a blatant lie, Josh’s wallet was still in his back pocket, but they both knew Mark would complain about preferential treatment until their ears bled if he didn’t have a good reason not to.

Josh told himself to not be infatuated with Tyler buying him a 79¢ energy drink, but his inner omega quietly enjoyed being doted on. Especially knowing Tyler preferred the sugar free drink as well and had chosen to give it to him.

Cracking his can open, he tuned out Tyler and Mark’s bickering in favor of trying to get his heart to slow down.

That’s another thing that had become reoccurring in addition to sex. Tyler’s sudden and subtle courting. His actions could’ve easily been explained away as just being Tyler. Overprotective and possessive of his friends as usual, if it weren’t for the fact that the focus of his affection was Josh only. And a 79¢ Red Bull was just one small part of it.

It started with Tyler doing things that Josh was asked to do. Michael would ask Josh to help him carry a piece of equipment inside the venue and Tyler would step in and offer to do it so Josh could finish his nap, even though Tyler had been trying to sleep too. Or Brad would ask Josh to share half of his poptart and Tyler would hand over his half instead so Josh didn’t have to give up his. Just little things. No matter how good of people Michael and Brad were, they were still alphas, Josh felt compelled to do as they asked with or without using their alpha voice. It wasn’t their fault, they didn’t know he was an omega instead of beta, and he appreciated Tyler giving him an out anyway. Josh wasn’t the type to praise an alpha for basic human decency, but he couldn’t help but secretly feel a little flattered. The world was still getting used to treating all status’ as equals, so what if he indulged just a teensy bit in being treated right. Sue him.

The courting started getting a little more noticeable as tour wore on.

Through interviews and meetups and acoustic performances, Tyler never gravitated far out of Josh’s orbit. The alpha wasn’t a typically touchy-feely person by nature, but apparently with Josh it was different. Having Tyler’s arm thrown over his shoulders as they walked from point a to point b became normal. Tyler’s thighwas always pressed against Josh’s own like they were superglued together whenever they were sat next to each other.

He realized Tyler had no clue he was even doing it when the alpha started walking a half a step behind him wherever they went, it was in his nature to watch his omegas back. Usually that didn’t mean literally per se, but Tyler was anything but typical. Josh would roll his eyes and yank the alpha to walk beside him whenever he fellbehind and Tyler would shake his head roll out the same excuse: “ _My calf muscles aren’t as big as yours, I can’t walk as fast, dude.”_

And Mark, too loyal for his own good, decided to make it his mission and unofficial duty to help keep them in line while in public, after a slight incident between the two. It happened during an agonizingly long interview, Tyler’s arm draped across the back of the couch behind him. Josh froze in his seat when Tyler’s knuckles brushed against the back of his neck in a deliberate, stroking way. The back of an omegas neck is a particularly sensitive area, but Tyler paid the action no mind, continuing to speak to the interviewer like nothing was happening. Only Mark could tell what he was doing from his spot behind the couch.

Josh hoped his flush wouldn’t show up on camera. He couldn’t help the way his mind wandered at the sensation, imagining how easy it would be for Tyler to scruff him and hold him there, pressing down on the pressure points there that would reduce his limbs to putty. Josh’s knee started bouncing as a hopeful distraction to his friends ministrations that were sending sparks of electricity down his spine. Mark coughed discretely but it was enough to catch Tyler’s attention. The hand disappeared from his neck and reappeared on his knee instead, holding his bouncing leg still. An all too familiar heat clouded his head. The room was too hot.

When the questions finished, Josh was out of the door before the last interviewer had even said goodbye, racing to the bathroom and splashing water on his warm cheeks, desperately cursing the betrayal of his own body. Tyler burst through not moments later looking like a concerned hen.

“You okay? You sick? What happened?”

Josh took a step back before Tyler could invade his space and make the issue worse.

“It’s you, you moron.” Mark pushed through the door easily and wringing Tyler’s ear in his hand and yanking him towards the exit.

Tyler half heartedly fought back. “Me?! What’d I do?”

Clearing his throat and wrenching himself out of his hoodie, Josh looked to Mark for a way out of this conversation.

“He’s in pre-heat dude, and you being so close isn’t helping. Scram.”

Tyler’s eyes widened but he was shoved outside before he could apologize. Leave it to Mark to be so blunt about his situation.

The beta gave him a skeptical look. “So, you want to talk about it?“

“Nope. If you’ll excuse me I’m gonna call Debby.” Josh breezed around his friend, practically feeling the smugness dripping from him.

Three days later Josh arrived back on the bus with a healthy tinge in his cheeks, bringing a cloud of Debby’s floral scent wherever he went. Underneath it all Tyler could smell the barest hint of heat that he picked up on only because he knew what Josh really smelled like without the scent neutralizer. The scent had his mouth watering and his tongue felt too big for his mouth. Mark gave him a knowing look he pretended not to see.

A few of the guys teased Josh for the dark circles under his eyes but Tyler quickly put them in their place with a stern “Cut it out.”

Josh gave him a grateful smile behind their backs.

It all came to a head when a small group of them went out to dinner. Brad had been going on and on about this restaurant he claimed to be his favorite and insisted they go. It wasn’t anything fancy but private enough that they felt it was okay to go during the dinner rush without the fear of being recognized.

Mark was telling a story as the waiter brought out Michaels food first, setting it in front of the alpha. Josh hadn’t eaten all day, and consequently his stomach growled loudly over the plate in front of his friend. He placed his hand over his stomach to mute the noise but Tyler who was sitting next to him had clearly heard it. Josh watched with increasing horror as Tyler reached out and pushed Michael’s plate in front of him without even looking up from the menu, only realizing the table was all staring at him when Mark had gone quiet.

Josh gingerly pushed the plate back to Michael, carefully avoiding eye contact with the rest of the table.

“Uhm, sorry I didn’t- I’m gonna go to the bathroom.” Tyler stuttered out an apology and excuse, pushing away from the table in embarrassment.

Brad cleared his throat when Tyler was out of ear-shot. “He sure does have a habit of picking partners he can’t have, doesn’t he?”

“Shut it, Brad.” Mark defended.

“We’re not together, he just wasn’t thinking. It’s common in alphas.” Josh leaned back in his chair as the rest of their food came to the table. The only reason the alphas at the table let the snide comment go is because they thought he was a beta, only adding insult to injury to his embarrassed ego. 

Nobody brought it up when Tyler came back to the table, instead choosing to stuff their faces. If it wasn’t suspicious before, surely it was clear now that Tyler was, if not courting Josh, at least favoring him.

Between the doting and the protective stances, taking up for him and the constant touching, he’s surprised it took Tyler this long to realize what he was doing. Now everyone else had picked up on it to.

He finds Tyler hiding in his bunk, curled up and facing the wall after everyone’s gone to bed, and doesn’t think twice before clambering inside and pulling the curtain shut.

“I didn’t realize I was doing it.” Tyler’s muffled voice comes from underneath a pile of blankets.

“Then why are you pouting? You didn’t do anything wrong.” Tyler rolls over to face him, keeping his arms tucked to his own chest. “Are you embarrassed?” Josh prods encouragingly.

“No. Well. I’m not embarrassed I was being an overbearing alpha, I’m embarrassed I didn’t even know I was doing it.”

“You weren’t being overbearing. The guys will stop teasing you for it eventually.” Josh said with his own tilt of humor in his words. “I personally enjoyed the attention.”

Tyler could see in his eyes that Josh was making fun of him and couldn’t help the surge of fondness in his chest. He settled for pushing Josh out of his bunk so the omega couldn’t see his embarrassment and tease him further. Josh landed with a thump on the floor but still giggling to himself.

He heard Josh getting into his own bunk and he was almost asleep when Josh’s voice jerked him awake again.

“Hey, Tyler? You awake?”

Groggily, he gave a halfhearted “Mmm.” In return.

“You’re not going to stop being all “overbearing” are you? I really don’t mind, Tyler. Liked it, even.”

Tyler sighed. “Goodnight, Josh.”

“Night.”

Tyler could hear the smile in Josh’s voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said filler chapter but it ended up being over 2k whoops


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh’s secret gets out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one turned out to be a little long. Over 3k words, enjoy the bumpy ride.

“Shit.” Josh tore through his suitcase, hoping his toiletry bag had spilled out into his clothes. Shirts, shoes, underwear, ski masks flew over his shoulder as he dug, regretting his disposition for disorganization. “Shit.” He said to his open suitcase, coming up empty handed. 

Tyler chose that moment to walk into the back room of the bus, and upon noticing Josh’s belongings all over the room, he gave the omega a familiar smile. 

“Lose a nickel?” He snickered.

“Something worth way more than a nickel. I lost one of my pill bottles.” 

Tyler’s smile dropped. “Shit.”

“Yeah my sentiments exactly.” Josh tugged on his hair in frustration.

“Look we’ll call and get you an appointment right away, maybe there’s a doctor that can see you before you go into pre-heat.” Tyler encouraged.

Josh gave a surprised laugh.

“I didn’t lose my suppressants dude, I leave extra bottles of those with Mark to keep track of. It’s my anti-anxiety meds I can’t find.”

Secretly relieved, Tyler stayed with him as they made the call to his doctor to get a refill prescription, ready within the week, for pickup in a city a few stops ahead on tour.

“I’ll be fine. It’s just a few days.” Josh reassured the alpha with a pat on the back, not wanting to worry him.

— 

As it turns out, it wasn’t fine. He didn’t want to admit it, but by day three, he was more than a little anxious. Unintentionally snapping at stagehands and jumping at every noise that took him by surprise. His jaw hurt from clenching so hard and he was suffering with a few smashed fingernails because of his hands uncontrollably jerking as he played his drums. He learned to avoid Tyler’s worried gazed at him from across the stage whenever he’d twitch in pain after catching his finger on the harsh metal. 

After the third show, the fourth finger he’d busted, and the fifth person he’d snapped at, people started taking notice.

“We should just paint your drums red at this point, man.” His kit tuner mentioned to him after the show, wiping Josh’s blood from the drum heads and chuckling to himself. Josh only felt sick.

He only had four days until his appointment in Sacramento. He could make it until then. His pointer finger pulsed in pain. 

Mark met him in the hallway afterwards, passing him a bottle of water and a towel. 

“You starting your heat soon or something?” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Josh quipped.

Mark’s hand on his shoulder stopped him from walking. “You’ve been a little um, high strung these past few days.” He grimaced and wiped his hand on his pants at the feeling of Josh’s sweaty and confetti covered shoulder. 

“No, I’m not about to start my heat.” He bit back, annoyed at Mark’s insinuation for his behavior. “I’m not high strung I’m strung out.” 

“Excuse me?” Mark’s eyes widened.

“I ran out of my anxiety meds okay? I’ve already got another appointment in a few days, don’t worry about it.”

The beta looked like he wanted to protest but nodded anyway. “Okay. Just, I’m here if you need me.”

“I know. Thanks.” Josh gave him a tight-lipped smile before escaping to the green room in search of a bandaid for his finger. 

— 

Two days away from his appointment, he starts to go crazy. Okay, he knows he isn’t crazy. But he does feel like he’s losing his mind. Just a little bit. 

Paranoid beyond belief, he swears that the crew is staring at him constantly. He catches crew members snickering at him whenever he walks by, their eyes sparkling with a hidden motive behind them. At first he thinks Tyler has stuck a “kick me” note to his back or something, but a quick look in the mirror confirms he’s managed to avoid that this time. Maybe it’s his body. Debby tells him that his butt is his biggest asset, pun intended. Maybe they’re flirting behind his back? It wouldn’t be the first time an alpha crew member has come onto him even though they think he’s a beta. 

His suspicions are confirmed when he gets catcalled while walking from the bus to the venue, but he doesn’t turn around quick enough to see which one of them had done it. He tells himself to not think anything of it, that it’s just a prank between crew members that’s getting to his head. 

He goes to Mark anyway, remembering his friends’ words at being there for him to talk if he needed him. They sit on the sidelines of a makeshift basketball court inside the bus station in the venue, watching a few members of the security team and Michael, Brad and Tyler playing a game of pickup.

Voicing his situation to Mark, it feels a little silly when he says it out loud. 

“The crew is being weird these past few days. I swear they’re staring at me every-time I pass by. I even got wolf-whistled. They’re playing some kind of game I don’t understand.” His eyes follow Tyler’s movement. 

“I’m not trying to invalidate your feelings or anything, but maybe you’re just a little bit paranoid because you’re out of your meds.” Mark reasoned. “You’re not supposed to stop those things cold turkey you know, maybe the symptoms are just messing with your head.” 

He knew Mark was just trying to reassure him but it was doing little to help. 

“Yeah, maybe.” He lowered his voice. “You’re sure I don’t smell like an omega? I showered with scent neutralizer twice today and I’m still getting weird looks.” 

“I’m positive. You smell more like an alpha than even a beta at this point from how much time you spend with Tyler, anyway. Alphas are just stupid.”

It wasn’t just the alpha crew though, it was the betas too.

They watched Tyler score a basket from the half point line marked with duct tape on the shiny waxed floor, signaling the end of the game.

“I’m gonna go for a run.” He decided suddenly, wanting to clear his head.

Mark nodded as Josh got up and meandered his way to the gym. There were a few people inside already, but he kept his head down avoiding anybody who looked up at his entrance, trying to school his face into something he hoped resembled boredom.

He was mostly left alone, until a half hour into his run he felt a tap on his shoulder and his earbud was pulled out. He could smell it was an alpha before he could see him, turning irritably towards the source of the interruption.

It was a security member he vaguely recognized, smiling at him all too innocently.

“I’ve got another mile to go, you can use it after I’m done.” He masked his apprehension with irritation.

“I don’t care about the machine, I just wanted to say I heard about your little problem and I’d be more than willing to help if you want.” The guy smiled like he was offering a prize Josh couldn’t refuse.

Josh had about lost his impressive patience with strange alphas hitting on him. “I don’t follow. I don’t have a problem.” 

“Come on, everyone’s been talking about how you’ve been all irritable because your “time” is coming up. I’m here to help if you’d like to get it over with.

“My what?” Josh’s voice broke as his voice raised in disbelief. 

“You know, your heat.”

Josh laughed despite his growing dread. “And where did you hear something that crazy?” 

“These venue hallways echo pretty badly.” The guy took a step towards him, and Josh’s heartbeat sped up in fear. His stomach dropped ten floors.

“It was a joke. I’m a beta. Sorry to disappoint.” Josh smiled dismissively, trying to throw the guy off his scent. Literally and figuratively.

“A joke, huh?” The alpha smiled slyly. “Like when you ask your friend if he’s on his period because he’s acting all pissy?” 

Josh would’ve hoped for a less misogynistic example but, “Yeah like that. He was making fun of me by asking if I was in heat. Just a joke.” Josh assured him.

The alpha took the rejection in stride. “If you say so man.” He went back to the other side of the gym without so much as a goodbye.

Josh had to force himself to finish his run to not raise suspicion, when he really wanted to bolt out of the room immediately. It couldn’t have been over fast enough, he was sweating bullets despite it being a relatively short run, his heart racing out of control.

“Fuck!” He slammed his dressing room door shut and let his head rest on the cool door for a moment. What was he going to do? His first instinct was to tell Tyler and Mark, his second instinct was to check social media, to see if any of the crew had let it slip online, his third instinct, which overrode the first two, was to pretend it never happened. It was just gossip. It wouldn’t go anywhere if he didn’t give it a reason to. Telling Tyler would only add fuel to the fire because he knew the alpha would insist on beating them up. And Mark would insist on making them sign an NDA which would only confirm that he was in fact an omega and then they’d never look at him the same way again. No, he would just play along and laugh. Everything was fine.

— 

Everything was most definitely not fine. He gets the call from management two days later, as he’s walking out of a CVS with a fresh prescription of his meds. No sooner than the first pill hits his stomach, his phone is ringing. He knows what it’s about, and a representative from their management is already at the bus waiting for him when he arrives back at the venue. Tyler gets to him first though.

“Do you know what’s going on? They said they wouldn’t tell me.” The alpha falls into step with him as they walk towards the bus where Josh is certain he’s about to get fired, outed or both. 

The management representative stops Tyler from entering the bus as they reach the door. 

“We need to speak to him alone.” The woman raises an eyebrow, daring Tyler to try and complain.

He looks to Josh instead, ignoring her. “Do you want me there with you?” 

The woman opens her mouth but Josh speaks before she can.

“It’s okay Tyler. They know. I’ll be fine.”

“They... know?” Tyler asks in hesitant disbelief, unwilling to give anything away in case he misunderstood.

“I’ll talk to you after.” Josh keeps his eyes on his feet as he shuffles into the bus and the woman closes the door behind him, slamming it shut in his face.

He sticks close by, Mark joining him when he hears what’s going on. It’d already been over an hour, occasional yelling coming from the bus that made Tyler want to smash a window and get Josh out of there.

The occasional crew member walks by, curiously eyeing the vehicle and the raised voices inside of it.

Neither Mark nor Tyler had said a word to each other, silently waiting in support for it to be over. It’s Michael that breaks the silence, walking up to them with his hands in his pockets and biting the inside of his cheek.

“So. Is it true?” He asks quietly, wincing in direction of the bus.

It’s neither of their rights to tell the truth, but their silence gives it away.

“Right.” Michael nods.

“I didn’t even know until half a year ago, don’t feel too bad. It’s nothing against you or Brad.” Tyler sighs, defending Josh’s choice of privacy.

Michael turns to him. “I’m not hurt. I get it. I could never blame him for keeping it quiet. You know, I spent my whole life kicking alphas asses that looked down on my sister for her status. And I can’t imagine how much worse it must be for him since...” Michael trails off but they all hear the unspoken “since he’s a boy”

Male omegas are more rare, and because of that they’re twice as likely to be sexualized and thrice as likely to be mistreated. Just because, to most of the older generation, being able to get pregnant was seen as an inherently female thing and apparently that was something to be ridiculed. It made Tyler’s blood boil.

Tyler realizes Michael is a better man than him, seeing how well he’s taking the news. While Tyler had pouted for days afterward, Michael had forgiven Josh before he’d even told him the truth.

“How’d you find out?” Mark asks Michael, knowing management was trying their best to keep the situation under wraps.

Michael swallowed slowly. “I heard it from the crew.”

“The crew?!” 

“They heard you talking to Josh about his heat.” 

“What? He isn’t due for another heat in a while.” Tyler cut in, embarrassed that he even knew that in their first place. 

Mark groaned and put his head in his hands.

“This is all my fault. I didn’t know anybody was around. Josh was acting all out of sorts so I asked him if he was about to start his heat. He wasn’t, obviously. I should’ve listen to him when he came to me saying the crew had been acting all predatory towards him a couple days ago.”

“What do you mean predatory? The whole crew knows? Why didn’t he tell me?” Tyler’s mind raced with questions.

“Down, alpha.” Michael nudged Tyler’s side.

The bus door opened and Josh was out first, regarding the three of them before heading inside the arena.

“You talk to management, I’m gonna go talk to him.” He told Mark.

“I’ll try and quell the rumors.” Michael nodded to both of them and they all split up in different directions.

He had to use his nose to find Josh’s path following the scent of distress that made him anxious. It lead into Tyler’s dressing room instead of Josh’s own. There was a sick satisfaction in his stomach that Josh had chosen his room.

There was no response when he knocked, a quick test of the doorknob showed it was unlocked. The lights were off, but the room was lit up by Josh’s phone on the counter across the room, buzzing insistently. 

“It’s me.” He peaked in, knowing Josh could probably smell him through the door but it felt polite to announce his presence anyway.

“Shut the door behind you.” Came a grumble from the the side of the room.

Tyler locked it for good measure, praying nobody would bother them for a while. He didn’t exactly know what to say, smelling how upset Josh was, not wanting to make it worse. He settled for saying nothing, instead going to his trunk and pulling out things he’d need. He only had one blanket, but he pulled out a hoodie and a beanie to hopefully compensate for the lack of covers. 

Josh watched him silently, tucked into a chair with his knees pulled to his chest as Tyler pulled the pillows from the couch onto the floor moving them around until he was satisfied, and then drifting over to Josh, and holding out the hoodie and beanie in offering.

Is was worth it to see a little smile appear on his face as he accepted the items and tugged them on, tucking the hood over his the beanie and taking Tyler’s hand to stand up. His smile disappeared when Tyler lead him to the mess of pillows and blanket on the floor beside the couch.

“You made me a nest?” Josh’s heart skipped a beat.

“I know I’m not an expert but...”

“It’s perfect.” Josh assured, settling into the nest first. “Wait.” Josh moves a pillow to the other side of him. “Now it’s perfect. C’mon.” He motioned for a Tyler to join him, knowing the alpha was waiting for an invitation even though he’d didn’t need one. The nest really was kind of perfect, made next to the couch so Josh would feel more safe. Tyler was perceptive when it came to the important things. 

They laid down next to each other on their backs, and Josh felt he was okay enough to speak about it now, comforted by Tyler scent and his close presence though he’d never admit it. Tyler waited for Josh to lead the conversation, for which he was grateful.

“So, at first they wanted me to come out. Make it a sob story and appeal to the omega portion of our fanbase. I shot that down pretty quickly.” 

Tyler huffed but didn’t interrupt. He could yell at management later.

“Then, they wanted to fine me for lying about my status, even though it’s technically illegal for them to ask me my status in a contract anyway. But finally, I think once they got their anger out, the felt sorry for me, because they cant really do anything. They told me they can’t control what the crew put out there, so what it comes down to, is just not saying anything. If we tell the crew to not say anything, they’ll know it’s true. We just have to let it die out and hope it doesn’t hit social media. They did agree to keep up my appearance as a beta though so I count that as a win.” Josh sighed. “I’m just not ready to come out. I don’t know if I’ll ever be.”

“Im here, whatever you decide I’ll support you. I’m sorry it happened like this.” Tyler dared to take Josh’s hand to find it shaking.

“Can we just stay like this for a while?” 

“Yeah.” 

Josh turned on his side to face the couch, and Tyler followed, plastering himself to Josh’s back and pulling him closer. 

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah.” Josh’s voice got quieter.

After a few moments of silence, Tyler had once more question.

“How did management find out?”

Josh didn’t respond for a while and Tyler almost regretted asking after feeling Josh’s heartbeat speed up again.

“One of the crew members asked to be let out of his contract with us because he wouldn’t work for somebody below his status.” 

Tyler kept his anger under control, knowing Josh could smell it on him.

“Fuck him.” Tyler said.

“Yeah. Fuck him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) juicy stuff is coming right up. Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to explore something that’s talked about/used a lot in other fandom’s abo fics but I haven’t yet seen in joshler abo. I thought it was an interesting idea! Just a short chapter to make up for the previous chapter being so long!

None of them could prove it, but Michael must’ve put true fear into the crew, because nobody so much as even looked at him the wrong way after the day management had come to speak to him. He wasn’t treated any differently than he had been before the rumors had started and it almost felt a little too normal. He was waiting for the other metaphorical shoe to drop, refusing to let his guard down or his hopes up that things really could go right back to being the way they were. People speculated about Josh’s status online all the time, but it didn’t seem to pick up any more traction after the incident much to his relief. That didn’t completely assuage his paranoia though.

He stuck a little closer to Tyler than usual, sneaking into his bandmates dressing room before shows for a quickie and his bunk at night for a cuddle until they fell asleep became his new normal. If Tyler was bothered by his second shadow, he didn’t give it away, welcoming Josh with open arms even when the omega accidentally kneed him in the balls while climbing over him in the small bunk because he liked being snuggly between the wall and the alpha. 

That was how they were currently situated, in a bunk on their blessedly empty bus that was parked inside the venue they were set to play tonight. Josh was restless and twitchy. He’d already been for a workout in the gym, and ran through their set for sound check, playing like it was a real show. When that didn’t quell his restlessness, he pulled Tyler into the bus and pushed his buttons until the alpha understood Josh was trying to rile him up and had gladly fucked Josh into the couch in the back room.

Though Josh was thoroughly fucked out, it still didn’t slow his racing thoughts, and Tyler could see the signs of stress etched into his face as they redressed and climbed into Tyler’s bunk. The omega wiggled around, huffing at his inability get settled. Usually the small space comforted him, but they both knew that when Josh’s head was out of sorts, his body could never relax, his mind wound up his body.

Tyler’s grip tightened around Josh’s waist and let is teeth just barely scrape against the back of Josh’s neck.

“Quit moving.” He said playfully, noting Josh’s immediate response to the request.

Josh stiffened when Tyler kissed just below his hairline again, little goosebumps raising on his arms.

“Don’t worry. I’d never bite.” 

“I know.” Josh shivered.

“Unless you asked.” Tyler’s lips brushed against the spot as he spoke just to tease him further.

The points on the back of an omegas neck was widely considered an evolutionary “fuck you” to omegas. Any alpha could sink their hand or teeth there and it would render the omega immobile from the neck down, releasing endorphins that would cloud the omegas head into a kind of subspace. It was illegal to do so without consent, punishable with prison time and hefty fines, but that didn’t mean anything to those who wanted to misuse it and ensure an omega couldn’t fight back. 

“S’alright. Feels good.” Josh admitted quietly.

Trust was an important part when it came to the use of the pressure point in relationships and the fact that Josh was letting him touch the spot at all made his inner alpha perk with happiness. Happiness that Josh trusted him like this. 

Sensing the omega get lost in his own thoughts again, Tyler reached up to pinch his neck good-naturedly, to bring him back to the present. Josh jumped, not expecting the action.

“No good?” Tyler apologized for the pinch with a kiss to the area instead.

There was a long pause before Josh spoke again.

“There was this alpha, in high school, that had some sort of prejudice against me because of my status. He used to sneak up behind me and pinch the spot on my neck, and laugh whenever my knees gave out.” 

Tyler’s chest rumbled in anger at the story, but didn’t say anything.

“I brought it up to a teacher. She was an omega too, I thought she’d understand. She told me that the guy just had a crush on me and I should be flattered. Flattered that he was taking advantage of something I couldn’t control.” Josh shook his head. “It doesn’t feel like that when you do it. It makes me feel safe.”

Tyler kissed the spot again with remorse, wishing Josh’s brain would let the omega rest. He’d held too much tension in his smile ever since the incident, and the bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway that he wasn’t sleeping well even after climbing into Tyler’s bunk.

“You can. If you want.” Josh whispered.

“Can what?” 

“Bite me. There.” 

This time Tyler was the one to freeze, heart pounding with anticipation. 

“Really?”

Josh shrugged as best he could in their position, still shuffling around uncomfortably on the cot.

“Gets me out of my head for a while.”

The alpha’s stomach filled with butterflies as he nipped the spot gently, resting the waters.

“What’s it feel like?”

“Depends on how hard you bite.” Josh sighed happily. “Right now, my fingers and toes are just tingly.”

Tyler huffed a laugh through his nose and bit down a little harder, and was rewarded with a soft gasp.

“C’mon, you can do better.” Josh goaded him.

Tyler soothed the little bite with his tongue, giving Josh a chance to change his mind. When no protest came, he latched his teeth into the back of his neck and bit down enough to hurt, but not enough to bruise.

Josh hummed in content.

“Now it feels like I’ve smoked too much weed and forgotten how to use my legs.” Josh pinched Tyler’s palm from where their hands were tangled together.

That caused the alpha to laugh and pull away from his neck.

“How hard do I have to bite to get you to be quiet?” He nosed Josh’s hairline as the omega shook with laughter as well.

“Harder than that.”

Tyler sunk his teeth in again, and could feel Josh relax slightly, and a moan escaped his lips.

“Harder.” 

Tyler clenched his teeth and tightened his grip around his waist.

“Harder.”

The alpha let go.

“We have a show in a few hours. I don’t want to accidentally break the skin and make you a rag doll until tomorrow.” 

“You won’t.” Josh sounded so sure.

Tyler’s alpha swelled in pride at his omegas confidence in him. No. No, not his omega. Josh was his own person. And sometimes Debby’s. He didn’t mean to let out a growl of jealousy at the thought of Debby doing this to him, but it slipped out anyway.

“Does she do this to help you relax, too?”

“Jealous alpha.” Josh teased, smile evident in his voice.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“No, she doesn’t. Only ever let you.” His words came out slow like he was on the verge of sleep.

Tyler bit down hard enough on the spot until Josh’s body went limp, and gave a long exhale. He panicked, thinking for a second he had gone to far and looked down to see if he’d drawn blood, but was relieved when there was only evidence of a pretty bruise blooming in the shape of his bite.

“Okay?” Tyler asked him.

Josh’s head nodded just barely. “Feels good.” He slurred, voice nearly inaudible. “Safe.” 

Fitting his teeth over the bite again at Josh’s admission, the omega finally went quiet. Tyler hoped he was really able to relax now that his mind was quiet and his body was still. With each brush of his tongue over the spot, Josh’s muscles would twitch in response, the only evidence that he was still somewhat aware.

It was a miracle they were left alone for as long as they were there. Tyler had a sneaking suspicion the Mark had told everyone to stay clear of the bus, since he was the only one who’d seen Josh pull Tyler inside earlier.

His arm that was under Josh started to go numb in a painful way, so he tried to delicately slide it out from underneath him without disturbing him. Josh snuffled slightly at the movement.

“I’m not leaving, pup.” He assured, running his free hand up and down Josh’s arm as the omega gave a little pleased noise in the back of his throat. “You like being called that?”

Josh gave a minut nod of his head.

“That’s a good pup.”

Tyler held him for a long while, drifting in an out of consciousness himself, comforted by Josh’s peaceful scent filling the enclosed space. He occasionally checked in, nipping the back of Josh’s neck and asking him if he was okay. Josh’s responses were only short and soft hums of approval. Tyler had never felt anything like this before, like he and Josh were tied together even without claiming or bonding with each other.

He must’ve been fully lulled to sleep at the sensation, because the next time his eyes opened, Josh’s body was facing his, a lazy and satisfied smiled on his face. Josh kissed him, lips scorching and his hands worming their way under Tyler’s hoodie.

“Told you, you’d know how hard to bite.”

“How long has it been?” Tyler jumped at Josh’s fingers skirting over his stomach.

“Few hours.”

He yawned, still half asleep. “Did I do okay?”

Josh answered him with a deeper kiss. “More than okay. Thank you.”

Tyler cupped the back of Josh’s neck to pull him back into a kiss, but paused when Josh winced and gasped.

“Does it hurt?” He ran his thumb over the spot gently.

“No, it’s just sensitive.” Josh’s hand dipped into his sweatpants to adjust himself. “Like a raw nerve”

“Oh. Sorry.” Tyler wasn’t sorry in the least, and Josh could tell.

The omega put his hand over Tyler’s.

“You better stop or I’ll come in my pants.”

Grinning wickedly, Tyler properly scruffed him and Josh drowned out his groan into the alphas shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two are clueless. Get ready for them to wisen up.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The accident happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to split this chapter up into two parts because it was too long. This chapter is over 3k just by itself.🥴 [I hope the longer chapter will make up for the fact that I completely forgot to update yesterday]

They were bound to have a slip up once in a while. In the back of everyone’s mind, they knew for a fact that someday there was going to be an accident. The only question was when and where it was finally going to happen.

Turns out the “when” didn’t so much matter as the “where” of the accident. The “where” was in a beautiful city in Europe. More specifically Tyler’s hotel room. They were set to have a few days break there before jetting off back to America, lucky to have a place to sleep that wasn’t the bus for once. 

Josh and Tyler weren’t paired together in the same room for this stop, due to the fact that Debby was with them, and Josh and Debby always roomed together over Josh and himself.

With their final Europe show behind them, Tyler was too exhausted to give the sleeping arrangements much thought, mostly just thankful that they were able to afford a few days break and stay in a hotel on top of it all. The more popular their band got, the bigger the shows, the more grueling the tour, the more overworked they were. So looking back on it, he was hoping the universe would cut him some slack when he forgot a few details that lead to the accident in the first place. 

He went straight to his room after the show, too tired for celebrations. Just barely making it through his shower, working on autopilot with his eyes closed, before dressing in the first thing his hands touched from his suitcase and falling into his bed, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

It wasn’t unusual for Tyler and Josh to give each other their spare room keys whenever they weren’t paired together, knowing that usually one of them would come find the other. So while it wasn’t unusual to be jerked out of his sleep violently because of a clumsy body climbing on top of him, it was a bit strange considering said body was rooming with Debby.

Blearily he looked at the clock on the nightstand to see barely an hour had passed since he’d gotten into bed and groaned tiredly.

“You better have a good reason for waking me up now when we have three days free.”

Josh sat heavily on his lap, but Tyler didn’t even open his eyes, hoping the body in question would just settle beside him and go to sleep.

“Need you.” Josh sounded shy.

Tyler sighed dramatically. So that’s what this was about.

“Need me, huh?” His hands rested over Josh’s thighs, kneading gently.

Josh tucked his nose into Tyler’s neck and nodded.

“Please, alpha?” 

He knew exactly how to play Tyler like a damn fiddle.

“Yeah, yeah alright, lay on your back.” Tyler wrenched his eyes open, ignoring his muscles protest as he rolled to settle in between his partners legs. 

Pressing a few tired and slow kisses to Josh’s bare stomach, his chin bumping against the omegas length already hard and wet in his briefs. He looked up in surprise, unable to see much in the dark hotel room besides Josh’s chest heaving.

“You really do need this don’t you?” Tyler cooed and yanked down Josh’s underwear, taking mercy on the omega after seeing how worked up he already was. They could take their time during the next few days, but for now, Tyler’s cock was already stirring in his sweatpants.

Canting his hips up impatiently, Josh whined when Tyler dipped his first finger inside of him.

“You’ve been busy.” Tyler teased, prodding a second and third finger gently inside of him after finding that Josh was already prepped and slick.

Apparently Tyler was being too slow, or Josh didn’t care for his teasing. He pulled Tyler up, and shoved him to rest his back up against the headboard.

“Okay, okay!” Tyler held his hands up in defeat, letting Josh maneuver him to his liking.

The omega only pulled down Tyler’s sweatpants enough to free him, and straddled his thighs impatiently.

Tyler’s amusement dissolved into groans, as Josh took ahold of his cock and giving a few short tugs, hand wet with slick.

Josh lined himself up and sank down easily, whining high and hips immediately starting to rise and fall. Josh always smelled good to him, but now it made him dizzy, clouding his head thickly. Josh must’ve forgone the scent neutralizer after his shower, and probably didn’t realize how much it got to the alpha when he didn’t wear it. 

His head was spinning, trying to catch up with what was happening, but the maddening feeling of being inside the omega combined with his scent made all his reaction times slow and foggy. He wasn’t even aware if he was even doing much to actually help Josh, overcome with just how good it felt, despite them being in this position many times beforehand. 

He was so involved in Josh, that he didn’t even hear the incessant knocking on his door at first. 

Debby’s scream-whispering is what brought him back to his senses.

“Tyler! I know he’s in there, open up!” She insisted loud enough for him to hear but quiet enough to not alert the other guests of the hotel.

Tyler was more than inclined to ignore her when Josh whined and urged him to keep thrusting up into him.

Debby would survive one night without him. She had him for the next few days anyway. Josh was just so warm and inviting, he couldn’t even think of leaving him now.

Her knocking got more persistent.

“Open the door or I’ll break it down!” She threatened.

Why was she even here again? Surely she could’ve just waited until they got back to the states to see Josh, usually she only came on tour with them whenever Josh was...

With great difficulty Tyler’s hands gripped Josh’s hips to get him to slow down. He couldn’t think straight with Josh riding him him like this.

Josh ignored him, head lolled to the side and eyes closed in pleasure.

“ **Josh, stop.** ” Tyler used his voice to command him, ignoring how his stomach felt sick with guilt at doing so.

“Josh!” Debby’s voice called through the door.

“Look at me.” Tyler took Josh’s face into his hands to make the omega look him in the eyes. His eyes were glazed and cheeks pink, eyebrows knit in displeasure at being unable to move. His thighs quivered, the inner turmoil of obeying the alpha command battling with his need to roll his hips forward.

“Are you in heat?” Tyler’s voice cracked as he spoke.

“Huh?” Josh responded eloquently.

“Oh fuck.” Tyler responded just as eloquently.

“Tyler! You can’t!” Debby’s voice rose and the door handle shook. “He’s not on birth control!”

The thought of getting Josh knocked up invaded his head and sent a sick sort of pleasure down his spine. Josh gasped when Tyler cock jumped inside of him.

“Fuck.” Tyler cursed his own betrayal at finding that hot. “You’re not on birth control?!” He shook Josh a little to get him to pay attention, but it was no use, Josh didn’t even acknowledge that he’d spoken.

With an impressive amount of willpower he lifted the omega off of him gently but urgently, and tossed him down on the bed beside him; the stab of pain in his gut at hearing Josh whine in pain from being pulled off so suddenly was almost enough for him to stay. He physically shook his head to clear it and jumped to his feet before Josh could reach out to him, wincing as he pulled his sweatpants back up around his hips, the fabric rough against his erection.

Taking three steps to the door, he yanked it open in anger he knew was unfounded, but he didn’t care enough to tamper it down. Debby grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed him against it the door when it closed. 

“What were you thinking?!” She whispered as loudly as she dared, trying not to wake the others.

“He came to me! I didn’t realize he had started his heat! Why did you leave him alone in the first place?!” He argued back.

Debby bared her teeth at his insinuation that she was a bad alpha.

“He was barely even out of pre-heat ten minutes ago, I felt he had a fever and I left for two minutes to get ice from the machine and some water because he was burning up! When I got back he was gone!” She shoved his chest and he pushed away from the wall, clenching his fists. “Why’d you let him in?” She accused.

“I didn’t! He has the spare key! I woke up and he was on top of me I didn’t think anything of it!” 

A door opened across from them and Mark stepped out, an annoyed look on his face. “Can you two shut it?” Uncaring about why they were fighting in the hallway in the first place. He closed the door without getting an answer from either of them.

Growling in frustration, he snatched the room key from her hand, and opened her and Josh’s room, unwilling to fight with her.

“Just take care of him.” He resigned and went to shut the door behind him.

“Wait! Give my backpack.” She requested. 

He looked down at her open pack on the floor, filled with various toys to help Josh through his heat inside of it. He thrusted it into her hands a little rougher than necessary and slammed the door shut, listening as she knocked and entered his room where Josh was waiting. 

He ignored the voice inside himself that said it was him that was supposed to be taking care of Josh. He knew he was just wound up because he was so close to Josh in his heat, which scrambled his rational thoughts. Josh had chosen Debby to help him through his cycle. Not Tyler. And really Tyler liked her as friend, she was funny and caring and great to be around. He wouldn’t go against Josh’s wishes and keep her from helping him just because he was selfish. She was good to Josh. But he could be good to Josh too.

Debby’s scent mixed with Josh’s own in the room. He climbed into the bed, shoving his face into Josh’s pillow in an attempt to block out her scent but it was no use.

Only then did he realize he’d left his phone in his room, and was forced to dig around in Josh’s backpack until he found what he was looking for. Surprisingly enough, Jenna’s contact was marked with a little smiley face in Josh’s phone. He prayed she’d pick up. Of course she did, even though it was early in the morning back home, she was good like that.

“Josh?”

“Try again.” 

“Tyler.” She sighed, a happy tilt to her voice.

“Where’s Josh?”

“With Debby.”

There was a pause, like she knew something was wrong but didn’t know the right question to ask.

“Where are you?”

“Hotel. Alone.” 

He didn’t exactly know what he wanted from her, a distraction for sure and her company most definitely, but he hadn’t thought through what he was going to say to her. Apparently he didn’t have to explain anything to her. Her intuition picking up on the uncertain urgency in his tone.

“Why don’t you get comfortable. Let’s get each other off and then we can talk after that.”

Tyler laughed. Straight to the point. She always knew how to get his head on straight.

“Yeah. Okay.”

“Good boy.” She praised. 

He melted into the bed, exhaustion soaking into his bones as her voice filtered through his head and set his nerves alight. 

—

On the third day of Josh’s heat and their final day in Europe, Tyler was woken up again in the middle of his sleep, this time knowing by scent alone it was Debby outside waiting for him. He checked the time, getting a sense of déjà vu.

Their flight was in just a few hours. He rubbed his eyes furiously in frustration. Whatever it was, couldn’t it wait until his alarm?

Upon opening the door, he found her looking just as tired and grouchy as he felt.

“Is it over?”

She shook her head.

“He’s asking for you. He won’t stop crying.”

He guessed that was a good enough reason for being woken up early, setting aside his irritation for the time being.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” knowing once he went in there with Josh it’d be downright impossible to leave, especially if Josh was crying.

“Please. He’s going to get heatsick if he doesn’t let somebody help him.”

It was the worry in Debby’s eyes that made him agree to see Josh. If she was unable to get him to calm down, he must be really out of sorts.

The first wave of heat that hit his nose when he cracked open the door to his room, was enough to make him immediately pull it back shut and look to her for encouragement.

“I trust you. Go help him.”

His eyebrows shot to his hairline. “You’re not coming in with me?”

“Two alphas in a room with a heatsick omega? I don’t see that going very well.” She reasoned.

They were both territorial over him, a disadvantage that came with them being in love with him Tyler supposed. She had a point.

She all but shoved him inside when he turned the handle again, closing it behind him. The sight inside broke his heart. Josh wasn’t even visible within the nest he’d made on the bed, showing how distressed he was. Tyler eased his way towards the bed, not wanting to scare him.

“Josh?”

“You left me. You didn’t want me.” Josh’s muffled cries came from inside the pile of blankets.

“Of course I did, but you chose Debby as your heat partner, you couldn’t consent.” He tried to explain to Josh, hoping he was clear-headed enough to understand. “Where are you?” He chuckled, gingerly pulling back the covers to unwrap Josh from suffocating himself. Tyler was surprised at himself at how controlled he was while being surrounded by Josh’s pheromones, and figured that his need to help his omega overrode his wanting to get inside of him.

When Josh was unraveled from his nest, it was clear that he wasn’t even coming down from his heat yet even though it’d been three days already, still panting and struggling to get off by himself.

“Why won’t you let Debby help you? You’re going to make yourself sick.” Tyler dared to lay one hand against Josh’s sweaty forehead, and the other wiped away the tear-tracks streaking his cheeks. Josh leaned into his touch like it was miraculous.

“Cause I need you.” Josh reached out to pull Tyler on top of him, but the alpha resisted.

“I’ll stay with you.” He soothed, but remained firm in his vow to not take advantage of him

He let Josh scent him, something usually only reserved for bond mates, gritting his teeth to steel himself. He wouldn’t allow himself to indulge in this. It was just for Josh’s sake.

Scenting alone seemed to be enough to push Josh over the edge again, crying in relief. Tyler’s mating gland felt numb where Josh’s nose nudged against it, but he couldn’t let himself get worked up over this.

“Please.” Josh begged for anything, squirming and kicking the blankets to the floor. Tyler just guided Josh’s head to rest in the crook of his neck again so he could scent him, hoping it would hold him over. Josh nibbled on the spot over his mating gland, and Tyler’s hand flew to the back of the omegas neck to scruff him in warning.

“Josh.” He meant it to sound stern but it came out in a moan instead. “Don’t push your luck.”

“Mate.” Josh whispered impatiently.

Tyler blinked rapidly, attempting to process what he had just heard.

Josh wiggled out of Tyler’s grip on his neck while he was distracted.

“What did you just say?” He’d heard him clearly, but it was still jarring. Josh didn’t respond, shuddering softly into another orgasm, hands clenched tightly into the sheets.

His head must’ve been still clouded with the smell of Josh’s heat. He brought his nose to his shoulder to smell his own shirt and clear his head of Josh’s scent, but his heart jumped to his throat when he realized he could barely tell which scent was his own, and which was Josh’s.

He was used to his bittersweet chocolate scent and Josh’s marshmallow fluff scent mixing whenever they had sex but never had it changed before. Now his was more smokey but still rich, and Josh’s was still thick like marshmallow but mixed with sweet graham honey. Together it smelled like...

“S’mores.” Josh preened and pulled Tyler’s head into his neck to urge him to bite.

Tyler’s mouth watered with the urge to sink his teeth in and merge their scents completely. 

“Mate. Josh, you’re my mate?” He asked incredulously.

He let Josh rut into his hand while he tried to come to terms with what was happening, distractedly working him up to another orgasm without even really thinking about it, the action like a second nature now. It didn’t take but another handful of thrusts into his hand for Josh to come again, dry and harsh in the later stages of his heat.

Josh’s omega finally settled after being taken care of by his alpha, knowing he was with his mate, and his body relaxed as his fever broke.

Tyler’s chest rumbled involuntarily, proud of himself for helping his mate.

Debby must’ve heard the growls from outside the room, and knocked on the door hesitantly.

He looked to the now sleeping omega at his side and exhaled in relief.

“Everything, okay?” She said in a hushed voice through the door.

He eased his way out of the bed as quietly as he could so as to not disturb the sleeping omega, knowing he’d need his rest for the flight they had in mere hours.

He opened the door slowly, his alpha screaming at him to not leave his mate. Debby and Michael were outside waiting for him. The look of hurt on her face let him know that she could smell their scents merging. He stood there with his hand on the door for a long moment, unable to make his feet walk out the door.

“Do I need to hold your hand and pull you out of there?” Michael joked.

“No. Just give me a second.”

Tyler’s feet felt as though they were tied to cinderblocks as he shuffled out of the room. It was for their own good. He wouldn’t mate Josh without discussing it with him first. Josh wasn’t able to consent while in heat and if he stayed in the room any longer Tyler knew he’d have a hard time saying no to Josh if he begged for it.

Debby moved to enter the room and Tyler’s hand shot out to stop her.

“I’m just going to pack up our things. Nothing else.” She promised. Deep down he knew he could trust her, it was just his alpha being protective and unreasonable.

“Come on, lets go for a run. Burn off some steam before your flight.” Michael encouraged him.

“I haven’t worked out a day in my life.”

“No time like the present to start!” Michael took ahold of his wrist in a grip like he was anticipating Tyler jumping back into the room and locking them out. “We leave for the airport in three hours.” He told Debby, gently pulling Tyler away from the door.

His fists unfurled when Debby shut the door behind her and he was finally able to breathe.

“I wasn’t kidding about the run, I’m not going to be stuck on a plane with your nervous energy for twelve hours, come on.” Michael hearded him towards his room to grab his shoes, and then towards the elevator, not letting him stop to overthink. “Plus I think you’d like to hear the story about how I figured out my wife was my mate.”

“You want to give me the talk about finding my mate? What are you my dad?” Tyler relaxed a little at the joke, tension dissipating between then.

“While on tour? Yeah I am.” Michal clapped him on the back. “So, it all started in high school. She was a grade above me and she thought I was a girl because of how long my hair was back then-“

Michael’s story was drowned out by Tyler’s thoughts as they ran, head getting clearer and clearer the farther away he got from Josh.

Mostly, he wondered how they were going to get home without anybody catching on. Mark would probably know what had happened just by looking at them, and that was fine. It’s Mark. It was the crew he was worried about. And management.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit consent is important to me when it comes to fics like abo where people are driven by their instincts. Sorry if you were wanting them to get it on already!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Accident Pt. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you’re in the mood for some s’mores.

He was right about Mark knowing what had happened as soon as he laid eyes on them at the airport. He took one look at the three of them, Josh nestled between Tyler and Debby as they waited to pass through security and instantly knew.

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Mark hissed, but his over-joyed grin gave away his disbelief.

Tyler shushes him before they caught anyone’s attention and gave him a look that said ‘ _later_ ’. He’d have twelve hours to explain.

Josh was unconscious on his feet, coming down hard from his heat and days of no sleep, bundled up in a hoodie and beanie but still shivering. He was mostly unresponsive, only vague nods or shakes of his head indicated he was semi-conscious as they huddled their way through the foreign airport at five in the morning. They weren’t worried about him, being surrounded by alphas that had his back. He looked like any other jet-lagged and sleep deprived passenger because Debby had made sure he was doused in scent neutralizer after she pushed him into the shower and washed him with beta wash, having to do most of the work because he really wasn’t in a state to take care of himself.

Tyler stood by as she had to stoop down and help Josh take off his shoes to get through security after the omega just blinked slowly at the officer that asked him to remove them, with no movement made to complete the task on his part.

They were pushing it by flying when Josh was still like this, since alphas and omegas weren’t allowed to fly whenever they were on their cycles, but he knew they couldn’t wait another day to get home and Josh’s fever had broken this morning so he wasn’t technically still in heat. He only hoped Josh would be able to sleep it off on the flight and wake up his normal self again.

While Josh was still in a sedative state, Tyler was the opposite, strung out and stressed out and jittery, clinging to Josh out of worry. Josh wasn’t even recognizing the faces around him let alone his presence and even though he knew that was normal after a rough cycle it didn’t help his nerves.

“You’ve got to stop acting like his guard dog. Do you want every alpha on the plane to realize he’s coming down from his heat?” Mark whispered in his ear as they passed their boarding passes to the attendant, Tyler giving her both his and Josh’s since the man in question could barely lift his arm.

Tyler let out an accidental snarl at the thought of any other alphas near Josh while he was still vulnerable and slapped a hand over his mouth, coughing loudly to cover it. The attendant gave him an odd look.

“And don’t get us kicked off the plane because you’re all territorial, please.” Mark tacked on.

Tyler ignores him, catching Josh’s arm when he stumbles over his own dragging feet. He made sure Josh was seated in the window seat, claiming the seat beside him. Debby was seated behind them which he was silently thankful for.

Josh was out like a light before the steward had even given the seatbelt instructions, curled up towards the window and tucked into himself trying to preserve his warmth. He didn’t move for the first few hours of the flight, body only flinching occasionally in his sleep. Tyler kept an eye on him while he filled Mark in on what had happened over text message; every once in awhile Mark would turn around and give him an incredulous look from a few rows ahead of him whenever he read Tyler’s message, making the alpha laugh. He was happy to have friends that could be light hearted about the situation.

The flight was otherwise quiet and uneventful until Josh finally began to wake up two hours from landing in New York. He blinked awake slowly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat from being in one position for so long. Rubbing his eyes, his brow furrowed when he finally realized where he was and stretched as best he could in the seat.

“Hey.” Tyler said simply.

Josh jumped like he hadn’t realized someone was sitting next to him, his spacial awareness still dull from his heat. But when he eventually caught Tyler’s gaze, his face split into a lazy but shining grin.

“Hey.” He replied.

“You with us?” Tyler teased.

He nodded tiredly, squirming in his seat again. 

“I’m with you. How’d I get here?”

The smile on Josh’s face let him know he remembered what happened between them, but he wasn’t surprised that Josh didn’t remember leaving the hotel room this morning.

“A car.” He joked, placing his hand on Josh’s knee to stop him from fidgeting. It didn’t stop him, Tyler huffing in mock annoyance. “How are you feeling?”

“Alright. Still not completely through it though.” He said as quietly as he could, understanding that they couldn’t talk here.

Eyes dropping to Josh’s crotch upon his admission, he saw that he was indeed still riding out the last remnants of his heat. Josh pulled his hoodie down lower to cover the obvious tent in his pants.

The stewardess came by with a cart of drinks, eyes concerned when she took in Josh’s appearance.

“He gets air sick easily.” Tyler spoke before she could question them, and grabbed two water bottles from her cart with a quiet thanks. He wordlessly passed one to Josh after she’d moved on, watching him chug the first one down quickly, droplets of water running down his chin and disappearing underneath the collar of his hoodie.

“Don’t drink too fast, pup.” Tyler opened the second one for him.

Josh didn’t say anything but drank the second one more respectively.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” Josh tugged on the hem of his sleeves nervously before leaning into Tyler’s space. “Follow me?” He murmured into his ear before quickly standing and making his way to the back of the plane.

Stunned into silence, Tyler sat unmoving for a few moments, trying to come to terms with the fact that he was about to become apart of the mile-high club.

“What are you waiting for? He needs you.” Debby’s voice filtered in through the crack in the seat from behind him.

He thought she was still asleep, but didn’t give himself enough time to feel guilty that she’d heard, instead standing up and trying to act as normal as possible walking to the back of the plane. He was pulled into the small room before he could even knock on the door, Josh locking it behind him blindly.

“Are you going into a second heat wave?” Tyler swallowed nervously.

“I don’t even think that’s possible.” He laughed breathlessly. “I’m still coming down. I could’ve just gotten off by myself to take the edge off but it’s not the same as when your mate takes care of you.”

Flushing hotly at Josh’s words, Tyler pulled him into a kiss that was too slow and too chaste for the time and setting.

“C’mon it hurts.” Josh whined into his mouth.

“You want the first time we have sex as mates to be in a airplane bathroom?”

“Didn’t take you for the sentimental type.” Josh joked, working his pants open.

“Well I wasn’t expecting a bed scattered with rose petals but somewhere with thicker walls would’ve been ideal.”

Despite his own words, Tyler slipped his hand into the front of Josh’s briefs, and the omega let the back of his head hit against the wall in relief.

“Why? You plan on making me scream?” Josh gave him a challenging smirk.

“Not in here.” Tyler said sternly. He may be an alpha but he’s not that brave. Not in front of a plane filled with 80 people.

“That’s good because I don’t plan on having sex in here.”

Tyler’s hand froze around its grip on Josh’s cock.

“Then why is my hand down your pants?”

Josh pulled off his beanie revealing a mess of curly hair that had gotten tussled from putting on hat on right after his shower.

“You’re gonna get me off because I’m starting to feel sick with how badly I need it, and then we are gonna go back to our seats and I’ll pay you back later.”

“You get to join the club but I don’t?” Tyler asked incredulously.

“Please? It really hurts.” Josh’s lip wobbled, still sensitive with haywire emotions.

Tyler kissed his trembling lip and admitted his defeat.

“You sure are demanding.” He whispers fondly.

“You’re my mate, dude, you’re supposed to take care of me.”

Tyler nips his neck for being so brazen, and pulls his pants and underwear down to his thighs.

Josh figures they’ve got about two minutes before people start to get suspicious but he doubts he’ll even last that long with how desperate he feels, heat still clouding his head, making his mind a little fuzzy around the edges from how much he needs Tyler. All he needs is a warm hand, but he’s surprised with Tyler’s mouth instead. He looks down to the alpha on his knees in front of him and gasps. Tyler tuts and hushes him, sucking gently on the head of his cock.

Tyler doesn’t give Josh blowjobs often, though not because he doesn’t deserve it, but because Josh is well endowed in spite of the stereotypes of his status and Tyler is the leader singer after all. He can’t afford to lose his voice. He doesn’t much care about that right now. He encourages Josh to grip his hair to control the motion of his head, and doesn’t miss the surprised look in his partners eye at the prospect of being given the lead.

There were still a few alphas out there that believed getting on their knees in front of somebody with a lower status was degrading and unheard of. Tyler can’t believe those alphas were missing out on tasting their partners all because of their stupid pride. If they were any good they’d know how much pride there was to be had in taking care of their partners properly and treating them right. In recognizing that all status’s were equal in and out of the bedroom.

With one hand around the base of Josh’s cock, stroking him in time with the bobbing of his head, and the other hand holding Josh’s hoodie up around his waist, Tyler groaned at how good Josh was. He always tasted good, but the lingering traces of heat in the precome that was dripping onto his tongue was unlike anything he’d ever imagined.

He’d never much cared for sweets, but the taste of Josh mixed with his own scent was the best thing he’d ever had. Josh’s thighs shook the faster he went down. Traditionalist alphas were definitely missing out on the ego boost of making their partner come apart like this.

“Tyler.” Josh whispers in a warning, but he ignored it, swallowing Josh down as he came with another sharp gasp.

His hands move to hold Josh’s hips still, taking everything Josh gives, until the omega starts to jerk away from his mouth from over sensitivity. Tyler makes a noise of disapproval when Josh tries to make him stand up, the greedy and selfish side of his nature rising to the surface.

“Give me a break, this is the first time my dick has even been slightly soft in three days.” Josh cups his chin and pulls him to his feet. He gives him a quick kiss that turns filthy upon Tyler’s insistence, licking into his mouth sloppily, teeth clacking, and ending it with a resounding smack that makes them both giggle.

“Here.” Josh pulls his beanie over Tyler’s head. “You have sex hair.” He teases, leaving Tyler breathless and hard as he adjusts his pants back up around his hips and exists the bathroom hastily, a promise to talk more when they’re finally alone hanging over their heads.

—

The last hours of the flight were excruciating. Being forced to sit next to his mate without being able to talk for fear of people overhearing them. He just wanted a few moments alone with him to soak up the fact that they were made to be together before they were carted off to another city. There’s rarely any alone time on tour, but he wasn’t going to wait until they had a break to address what had happened between them.

There’s a small window of opportunity to do so after they land, standing in the parking garage of the airport. They’re group is set to be split up into three different cars to be carted to their new bus which would be their new home for the next few weeks, where he knew once they got on, they’d never get a moment alone. There’s only a few of them mulling around the black SUV’s, loading up their luggage in their respective cars.

Mark is the one that catches him shifting uneasily and saves the day, assuming the unofficial position as ‘The Keeper Of Their Secrets’ as Mark had put it. The beta pushes the straggling crew into one of the cars that was meant for the band, insisting they go on ahead to the bus to make sure everything was up to standards, with a promise that the band would be fine with him and Michael to drive them.

Michael, Debby and Mark all pretend to be very interested in the van that was originally meant to take the crew while he and Josh stand next to Josh and Debby’s car. Debby was going to be leaving in a few days, but for now he figured she was supposed to keep up appearances as Josh’s partner.

Both of them can’t figure out what to say first, pulling into a hug instead. Tyler tries to discretely scent him, secretly disheartened that the scent neutralizer works so well.

“If you’re going to do it, do it right.” Josh says fondly, tilting his head to the side.

Tyler’s brain short circuits at the action. Before he even knows what he’s doing, he’s opening the back door of the car and shoving Josh hard enough that the omega falls onto his back in the seat with a hearty laugh, Tyler follows him, clambering over the omega and slamming the door behind him. He’s happy they can afford tinted windows.

Josh presents his neck, letting his legs fall open in submission for Tyler to lay in between.

Tyler rubs his nose into Josh’s scent gland, trying to find Josh’s scent under all the product. It’s no use, but it makes him feel better knowing Josh was going to smell like him because of it.

“Can’t believe it’s you.” Tyler tugs at Josh’s hoodie, urging him to pull it off. The omega complies easily with an amused chuckle.

“We could’ve been mated for years if I’d just told you my status.”

“None of that.” Tyler shakes his head. “I would’ve chosen you whether we were mates or not.”

Josh giggles at Tyler’s insistence on scenting him everywhere his nose can reach, secretly adoring the attention. The alpha was claiming him by scenting him, as it was usually reserved for bonded mates. His heart swelled with the notion of being wanted and chosen like this, stomach full of butterflies and a giddy laugh escaping his chest.

The alpha’s hands skirt over every part of him, almost worrying him with how badly they were shaking. Josh realizes his hands aren’t shaking because he’s nervous— but in anticipation. Tyler isn’t as put together as he always tries to be.

“Do we tell management?” Tyler questions, his nosing and kissing over Josh’s body getting lower and lower down his torso.

“Fuck ‘em.” Josh laughs.

They’d have to wait to mate until their cycles matched up anyway, and even then Josh wanted to wait to bond as that was the equivalent of marriage.

“Quit it, you’re going to get scent drunk.” Josh chastises him good-naturedly as the alpha claims him.

Tyler does feel a little sluggish and high, an evolutionary byproduct of being driven by your nose. He leans up a little from where he was sucking a hickey into Josh’s stomach so he could look him in the eyes when he speaks.

“What about the band?”

“Whatever happens. Friends first. Band second.” Josh felt so foolish thinking something like this could put the band in jeopardy. It could only make their chemistry better.

“We do it our way. We don’t need to lie, but if people figure it out then...”

“I’m good with that.” Josh breathes.

“The people around us are the only ones that matter when it comes to this.” Tyler assures him, nosing along the waistline of his pants. “What are we going to tell our parents?”

“Don’t talk about our parents while your head is between my legs.” Josh groans.

They didn’t have the time to do anything more, but Tyler still gives his inner thigh a harsh bite, the sensation dulled through the denim of his pants. It was an awkward angle and a mess of limbs in the cramped back seat, but just being close each other was enough.

“I trust them to keep it quiet.” Tyler makes his way back up Josh’s body, pressing short kisses to the inside of his wrist and crook of his elbow before stopping at the juncture of his shoulder. “Are you okay with coming out to my family?”

Josh pauses at that, Tyler’s hands on his stomach doesn’t make him laugh for once.

“I trust them too.”

A knock on the tempered glass of the car reminds them of where they are. Tyler sits up and straightens out his clothes, eyeing Josh’s disheveled state of flushed cheeks and bitten lips, shirt pulled up to his chest. He wishes he could take a picture of the sight.

“You really mean it? That you’d pick me whether we were mates or not?” Josh sounded suddenly self-conscious.

“Yeah.” He answers honestly.

“I think unconsciously, I always knew it was gonna be you and me.” Josh admits.

He can’t explain it, but something clicks into place somewhere in his chest. Something that feels right and good. He kisses Josh goodbye like they wouldn’t be seeing each other in an hour anyway.

“I’m just glad Debby had the sense enough to brush your teeth before we left.”

Tyler manages to avoid Josh’s fist aimed for his arm, and tumbles out of the SUV, barely making it onto his feet, laughing the whole way.

Michael steadies him as he and Debby trade places, her taking his seat in the back of the car next to Josh. He squeezes her arm before she closes the door.

“Hey. Thanks.” He shrugs not knowing how to express his thanks for her help with everything.

She gives him a nod. “Anytime.”

Mark gets in the front seat to drive the two of them, while Michael corrals him to the van.

“Jesus, are you scent drunk?” Michael accuses his disorderly state.

“Maybe a little.” Tyler misses the handle of the car, vision foggy, and giggles at himself.

Josh watches Tyler haphazardly climb into the other car and sighs internally. Debby sits close to him, refusing to scrunch up her nose in disgust even though he knows he must reek of Tyler. She was a good-hearted person like that. He was going to have to have a long talk with her. A talk he surprisingly wasn’t dreading.

He wondered if Tyler was thinking about doing the same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how tooth-rotting this chapter ended up being :) 
> 
> Up next: Tyler is a dumbass.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> time for light angst

He knows Tyler’s rut is coming before Tyler does. He can’t even smell it yet but somehow he just knows. Tyler doesn’t seem worried about it. In fact the alpha doesn’t even acknowledge that it’s coming up, most likely due to the fact that he’s been spending more time in the makeshift studio in the back of the bus than actually with Josh, so his mind was on other things.

It’s fortunate they don’t have to take breaks for Tyler’s rut, because while he gets more assertive and short-tempered, he doesn’t completely lose his control while in his cycle so they’re still able to perform as long as Tyler is able to pop his knot in someone a few times a day.

He just wishes Tyler would be the first one to bring it up. He knows it’s kind of unspoken that they would be spending it together due to them being mates but it would’ve been nice to be formally asked to. Call him traditional on some aspects of their relationship. He mostly just doesn’t want to be surprised the day of Tyler’s rut starts and have no time to be prepared, but the alpha doesn’t even seem to register that he should take the initiative, too involved in his work.

When Jenna texts him a few days later, Josh has his first ever thought of taking a break from the band. The message comes through when he’s alone on the tour bus, in the middle of debating on what to eat after the show.

_‘Hey, J! Haven’t heard from Tyler in awhile, just making sure he’s okay. I’ll be there in a little over a week for his cycle!’_ She ends the message with a happy smile.

Normally Josh would be happy to get this message from her. He enjoys her company, her cooking and her care for Tyler, but right now the message just sends him into a combination of anger, hurt and confusion.

He can’t help the little stab of betrayal he feels in his chest, knowing that Tyler had asked her to help him through his rut instead of Josh. He thought it was pretty clear that they wouldn’t need their cycle partners anymore after finding out they were mates. Guess not. He suddenly feels incredibly foolish, and sick to his stomach with embarrassment. While he and Debby had politely and mutually agreed to stop spending their cycles together, Tyler hadn’t even thought to discuss it with Jenna.

He bites the inside of his cheek as he types back.

_ ‘He’s fine! Just working hard on new stuff. I’ll tell him to get back to you asap.’ _

She sends a thumbs up in reply. He wants to desperately be angry at her, but it’s practically impossible to be angry at Jenna for any reason.

_ ‘How long has it been since you two spoke?’ _

...

_ ‘A little over two weeks I think.’ _

That’s even worse than Tyler asking her to spend his rut together. It’d been just over two weeks since the night of the incident as everyone had dubbed it. Tyler had told him that he called Jenna that night and told her that Josh was an omega, which Josh didn’t mind because he trusted Jenna. But that meant he hadn’t spoken to her since then, and she didn’t know they were mates. Tyler hadn’t even bothered to tell her.

The taste of blood was bitter on his tongue from biting down on his cheek too hard. He doesn’t bother to message her back. Instead working on controlling his disappointment before he did something irrational. He didn’t particularly want to tell Tyler that Jenna had texted him. He didn’t even want to be within the same country as his mate at the moment.

He determined that he would not be the middle man in this. Tyler could deal with her rage at not messaging her back when she arrived in a few days. Like hell he was going to be their messenger boy.

—

Everyone notices that something is off between them, although it doesn’t really come as a surprise to Josh that everyone picks up on it because it wasn’t like he was being particularly subtle about his passive-aggressive attitude to his bandmate.

It starts with sleeping in his own bunk at night instead of climbing into Tyler’s. The alpha doesn’t push him about it, but it’s definitely a noticeable difference to their routine.

The little quips in his voice and brushing off Tyler’s touches whenever he’s around advance to flat out ignoring him, onstage and whenever they’re in a room together. Tyler stops trying to touch him in any way, platonic or not, after the third day. Josh doesn’t miss the blatant hurt on the alphas face at his denial and refusal to acknowledge him but still doesn’t say anything.

Mark comes to him on the fourth day, looking distraught.

“Please tell me what’s happened so we can fix this and move on. Did you two have a fight? Did he steal the last bowl of cereal? I’m tired of being suffocated by the tension between you two whenever you’re within ten feet of each other.” Mark huffs in exasperation.

Josh shakes his head, back turned away from Mark as he gets ready for sound check.

“We didn’t fight.” He says, pulling a shirt over his head. As much as he wants to silently stew in his own misery, he also does kind of want somebody else to kick Tyler’s ass for him. “Jenna texted me a few days ago.”

The fire in Mark’s eyes dies out.

“I can’t imagine she’d be mad at you for being Tyler’s mate.” his brow furrows.

“She’s not mad. She messaged me to let me know she was coming on tour to help Tyler with his rut in a few days.”

“What?” Mark’s eyebrows disappear into his hairline.

“Tyler hasn’t even told her we’re mates.”

“She doesn’t know?!” The beta exclaims too loudly.

“Pipe down!” Josh hisses, aware that Tyler’s dressing room was next to his, and the alpha was probably gearing up for souncheck as well in his own room.

“Then why has Tyler been looking like a kicked puppy if he’s the one that fucked up?!” Mark didn’t lower his voice.

“Because I haven’t told him that she messaged me! I’m waiting for him to admit it to me!” Josh snapped.

“Oh, so you’re **both** morons!” Mark slapped his forehead and groaned.

“I shouldn’t have to be the one to go to him! Jenna can rip him apart when she gets here.”

“Why haven’t you ripped him apart? You’ve got two perfectly good hands.”

“Because I’m embarrassed!” Josh’s voice wobbled with hurt and Mark’s eyes filled with sympathy. “He chose her over me.”

Mark pulled him into a hug. “Just give him a chance to explain at least.”

“No.” Josh stated with no room for argument.

“Then tell Jenna at least. She has the right to know what she’s getting between.”

Josh sighs, pulling out of Mark’s embrace.

“Fine. But don’t talk to Tyler. I’ll figure something out.”

The beta looked like he wanted to argue, but didn’t.

“Well figure it out soon. Preferably before his rut hits and he becomes an insufferable knothead.”

“I’ll call her tonight after the show.” He promises.

—

Unfortunately, Jenna is overly excited to see him when he calls her over facetime that night. He’s hidden away in his bunk, while Tyler is locked in the back room of the bus working on music as the vehicle goes a slow sixty-five on the highway.

“Josh!” She waves at him as soon as their call connects. Her voice is a little distorted over the call, but her pixelated smile is as bright as ever, lighting up the small space of his bunk.

“Hey, Jen.” He smiles back despite the hole in his chest.

“Where are you? What are you doing? He still hasn’t messaged me back you know.” She frowns in mock anger that makes him laugh a little.

“Florida. I’m alone in my bunk. He’s completely zoned into his work.” Josh answers her questions in quick succession.

Satisfied with his answers, she nods in approval.

“Is this a business or social call?” She grins.

He pretends to think hard about the question just to hear her laugh. He knows this should be a business call. He should just tell her and get it over with.

“Social.” He lies.

“Okay. What did you want to talk about, Josh?” She sees right through him, tilting her head knowingly.

He opens and closes his mouth twice, trying to gather the right words.

“I can’t read lips Josh, you’ll have to speak up.” She says in a way that reminds him how much of an alpha she is. Gentle but commanding as always.

“What is Tyler like during his rut?” He blurts out instead of what he really wants to say.

She looks at him funnily, checking her watch for the time and then back at him.

“It’s late at night and you’re asking about Tyler during his rut? Did you call me to get you off?”

“What? No!” He balks at the absurdity of the notion.

“Tyler must be really wrapped up in his work if he’s even ignoring you.”

Little did she know it was the other way around.

“Just curious I guess.” He shrugs.

“Hmm.” She hums breezily like she doesn’t believe him. “You’re lucky you only have to deal with him when he’s in a right state of mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe it’s just because I’m an alpha, but he’s notoriously hard to deal with when he’s in rut. Belligerent at times. I don’t know how he ever got through his rut alone because he refuses to take care of himself in any way unless there’s a reward involved.”

“Such a dog.” Josh laughs lightly, adjusting his earbuds.

“He’s greedy and selfish. He’ll listen to you when you say no, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be kind about it. I’m constantly putting him in his place while he’s popping a knot just so he’ll be coherent enough to perform for two hours.” 

“Sounds like a drag.” 

“I’ve learned how to handle him. Handcuffs come in handy.”

A little burst of jealousy settled in his gut. He reminded himself that she didn’t deserve to be mad at. Tyler was.

“Sounds pretty different than to what I’m used to.” He comments distractedly.

“It’s still good though. I’m sure you know he’s a very giving partner.”

The jealousy comes to a boil in his stomach at the word ‘partner’.

He can’t do this.

She continues on, not missing a beat.

“It’s all about give and take, you know? You have to trick him into taking care of himself because he’ll be too focused on helping you to realize he hasn’t eaten in two days.”

“He does that even when he’s not in rut.”

She silently stares at him through the screen until the sound of the door opening in the lounge jars him back to reality.

“I’ll talk to you later.” He scrambles a goodbye.

“What? Josh?”

“Bye mom!” He says loudly, ending the call before hearing her goodbye which he vowed to apologize to her for later.

He can feel Tyler stop in front of his bunk, hoping the alpha will just climb into his own without saying anything. He hears rustling, like Tyler was getting into his bed, until his unsure voice cuts through the silence.

“Goodnight, Josh.” Tyler’s voice is tinged with something hopeful.

Josh doesn’t dignify him with a response.

—

Tyler confronts him the very next day, minutes before their set to go onstage, in the hallway leading to side stage.

One minute they were walking tensely, and silently beside each other, but as they arriveto the fork in the path, Josh to stage right and Tyler to stage left, the alpha stops him with a grip on his bicep, loose enough that he could get away if he wanted to. Josh does just that, wrenching his arm free like he’d been burned.

It wasn’t his intention to act disgusted at Tyler’s touch, more of a reflex to being grabbed so suddenly more than anything, but it’s enough to make Tyler’s concerned face turn sour.

The alpha reaches up to grip the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair and wrenching his head to the side.

“What’s going on?” Tyler grits out.

“You think man-handling me into submission is the way to get back into my good graces, alpha?” Josh lashes out at him.

Tyler’s eyes flash and before he knows what he’s doing he’s sinking his teeth into the junction of the omegas neck. The alpha backs him into the wall behind him, as Josh goes pliant, groaning softly.

In a moment of clarity, he gathers enough strength to shove Tyler off him, hand coming up to massage feeling back into his neck.

The alpha goes willingly, but the fire in his eyes says Josh isn’t getting on that stage without giving an explanation.

“Your ruts coming up in a few days.”

That’s clearly not what Tyler thought he was going to say, face contorting in bewilderment.

“Are you worried about helping me through it?” Tyler treads carefully.

This cannot be happening right here, minutes before they were set to play in front of 10,000 people.

“Why would I help you through it? Jenna is coming here in a few days.” Josh clenches his fists that were shaking in frustration.

“What?” Tyler’s brows knit.

“She messaged me days ago because you weren’t answering her. Said she was still coming on tour to help with your rut!” Josh keeps his voice in check, not wanting anyone to find them. “You didn’t tell her about us being mates.” Josh tries to keep the accusation out of his voice, but ultimately fails.

Tyler’s face goes through a series of emotions, first dumbstruck, then realization, and finally landing on something that looks like fear.

“Fuck, Josh I forgot. I swear I didn’t not tell her on purpose.”

“You forgot? Your rut is in like two days how could it not ring any bells?!”

There was little consolation in knowing Tyler had just simply forgotten to tell her instead of intentionally keeping it from her.

“How do you know it’s in two days? I don’t even know that.”

“I can tell because we’re mates. A fact that’s pretty important and should’ve been a high priority.”

Tyler deflates, knowing he’s right.

“I’m sorry. I know. I get a little lost in my head sometimes.”

“I’m not going to forgive you just because you didn’t do it on purpose.” Josh steps back when Tyler steps towards him.

He can see that Tyler is wound up, disbelief in his own lack of judgement.

“It is the most important thing to me. I waited to tell our family and friends because we wanted to tell them together but somehow Jenna got forgotten in the mix.”

“Well I’m going to tell her now.” Josh began to walk down his hallway to stage right.

“Josh, wait.” Tyler pulled on his hair anxiously.

“We’re already late.”

“I’m sorry-“

“I know you’re sorry.” Josh cuts him off.

He fits on his in-ears, signaling the end of the conversation and pushes through the door to greet Michael who was waiting for him side stage.

“Everything okay?” Michael gives him a look that says he already knows that Tyler and him were not okay.

Josh lets out a whoosh of air from his chest and finds that almost all of his anger towards Tyler escapes with it.

“It will be.” He gives a half smile before getting into place behind his kit.

With his anger gone, all that’s left is underlying relief, and he hates knowing that Mark was right about just talking to Tyler instead of ignoring him. He did to Tyler exactly what Tyler did to him when the alpha found out he’d been keeping his status a secret.

They surely were a pair of idiots weren’t they.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in uploading chapters. Between working in a hospital and everything else going on in the world, it’s been hard to get into a mindset to write fic. But don’t worry I will still be updating in a timely manner. I’m sorry for the angst filled chapter, I promise the next one is what probably most of you all came for in the first place. {That’s right, smut} :) Thank you for your continued support on this fic!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler starts his rut and security footage leaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chap turned out to be 70% smut whoops.

Josh could hear Jenna tearing into Tyler through the shared wall of their adjoining hotel rooms, which shouldn’t have been possible considering he was on a phone call with her, but nothing is impossible when it comes to her anger. Josh doesn’t feel sorry for him.

Well, maybe a little bit. Jenna’s wrath is something he’s yet to experience but by the sound of it, it’s anything but pleasant. Mark was supposedly in the room with Tyler for moral support but he hadn’t heard a peep from the beta since Jenna had answered the call twenty minutes ago. They all knew she wasn’t actually angry, just sticking up for Josh more than anything.

Feeling surprisingly merciful, he messages Jenna to cut Tyler some slack despite his wrongdoings, and when it’s all over and everyone’s settled down, he climbs into Tyler’s bed for the first time in almost a week to sleep curled up together, so that Tyler knows he’s truly forgiven.

And while he might be forgiven, that doesn’t mean Josh wasn’t going to jump at the decision to help Tyler through his rut. He was more than content to let the alpha squirm thinking about going through his rut alone for a couple days while Josh weighed his options, knowing that Tyler wouldn’t push him for an answer after the stunt he pulled in the venue hallway because that’s the type of alpha he was. Considerate.

He gives in— judging by his nose— about two days away from Tyler’s rut, when the alpha had already begun claiming the back room as his den for the week or so he’d be going through his cycle. Nobody but the alpha and the partner they’d be spending it with (if they were lucky enough to have one) was allowed in the den as alphas got extremely territorial during their rut and it was safer for everyone if he had a bigger space to hole up in.

They all remembered the incident from a few years ago when Mark needed a charger from the back room and had gone into Tyler’s den while he was out, not thinking the alpha would know he’d been inside even for just a few seconds. He quickly realized how wrong he’d been when Tyler came barreling onto the bus, some fifth sense telling him that somebody had been in his den and Mark had barely made it out of the bus unscathed, Jenna protecting him from Tyler’s anger.

However, Josh waltzes into the back room unworried, watching as the alpha stored extra food in the cabinets and blankets on the couch, breathing heavily even though he’d barely been moving. He let the door close shut behind him while Tyler eyed him out of the corner of his eye quietly, still bustling around the room. It seemed like he was going to have to be the first one to say something.

“Are you really planning on going through this by yourself?”

The fact that Tyler was considering it at all made him feel a little bad. He obviously knew he’d messed up.

“It’s been half a decade since I’ve done it alone but I think I still remember how to jack off by myself for a few days.” Tyler chuckles nervously and Josh snorts at him.

“Do you want some help?”

Tyler pauses where he’s standing, putting a box of cereal on the shelf.

“With stocking the den?”

“With your rut, you moron.”

Tyler’s head whips up to his, a poorly disguised look of hope on his face.

“Really? You want to?”

“Course I do.” Josh shrugs simply, unwilling to give away how his heart grows fond at Tyler’s happy grin.

“I can be a handful.” Tyler warns.

“Yeah I know, and I’ve missed your handful.”

Josh is rewarded with a fierce blush across Tyler’s cheek at the dirty joke. It’s not often that he can catch Tyler off guard and get the upper hand at making the alpha flustered.

“Although...” Josh steps into Tyler’s space, sticking his pointer finger into the waistband of Tyler’s shorts to pull them open in the front, making a big show of trying to take a peak. “Has your handful gotten bigger yet since your so close to your cycle?”

Tyler bats him away with a half-hearted protest that’s dotted with two dimples on either sides of his smiling cheeks.

“Save it for when my rut really hits, you’ll thank me.” Tyler warns, dodging Josh’s wandering hands.

“Fine. Plus, I know you really didn’t mean to forget about telling Jenna. Or asking me to help you. And the thought of my mate going through a weeks worth of pain when we could be having a weeks worth of knotsex seems like the better option.”

“That reminds me. Will you help me through my rut?”

“Oh now you’re formally asking me?” Josh gives him an unimpressed look that’s laced with humor.

“Now that I know you’ll say yes. Yeah I am.”

Josh pretends to weigh his options. “I guess I could help you out.” He makes an exaggerated show of indifference, making Tyler smile.

“What food do you want stocked up, then?”

—

Knowing Tyler wanted to wait to have sex so they didn’t trigger his rut early was quite frankly annoying and exhausting. Josh doesn’t try too hard to abstain from riling the alpha up though anyway, enjoying the thrill of torturing him. The next two days he makes it his mission to get him to crack.

Mark keeps giving him these horrified looks like Josh is poking a sleeping bear, and he guesses he kind of is, knowing that when Tyler snaps it’ll probably trigger his rut full force. But that was also kind of the intention.

The don’t have a show that night, and there’s not as many people staying on the bus because everyone knows Tyler is moments away from carrying Josh into the den in the back, and nobody wants to be close enough to get growled at.

“I just want to know what I’m getting into before you go all feral on me. Is that too much to ask?” They’re standing in the kitchenette together, Tyler in front of him, gripping the countertop on either side of his waist, boxing him in. Josh hopes that his begging is enough to get Tyler to finally make a move. “Can’t we do it just once before your rut hits so I know what it’s like? While you’re still coherent?” Josh pleads, putting on his best behavior for a moment. A moment long enough to make sure the few people who are on the bus are safely at the front.

He can see the second Tyler’s resolve breaks and suddenly Josh is no longer standing in the kitchenette, but instead being dragged to the back. He tries not to let his ego soar at his ability to make Tyler break.

No sooner than the door is locked Tyler turns around with his hands on his hips, eyes narrowed but tented pants betraying his false irritation.

“Do you know what you’re volunteering for  Have you ever even done this before?” 

“I’ve helped Debby through her rut plenty of times.”

“With somebody that has a knot?” Tyler clarifies, tugging on his shirt to pull it over his head.

“I’ve seen rut porn before I’m not completely clueless.” Josh pulls him down to the carpeted floor. “Plus I’m sure I’ve taken toys bigger than any alphas knot, don’t flatter yourself.”

Tyler’s jaw twitches as he clenches his jaw, eyes narrowed at Josh’s words. He finally gets his own shirt over his head and hurries Josh along with his own undressing.

“Real life is different than porn.”

“I’ve had your dick in me hundreds of times before.” Josh reasoned while pulling off his socks.

“Not when I’m this big. Or when I come this much.” Tyler flips him onto his front, working on Josh’s pants.

“Wait.”

Tyler pauses immediately, breath ragged.

“Want to be on my back.” Josh tries to roll over under Tyler’s arms bracketing him, trapping him in place.

“Just don’t let me knot you on your back when I finally hit my rut. It’s miserable to be stuck together like this for half an hour afterward.” Tyler advises, letting Josh get comfortable before finally removing the last piece of clothing separating them.

“Yeah. Yeah. Just this time I want to see what’s going in me first.” Josh finally gets a hand on him once his cock is free of the confines of his pants and lets out an embarrassing noise of approval at the first glance he gets.

Tyler _is_ bigger although Josh was correct when he’d assumed he’d had bigger toys. Debby did love to spoil him. The alpha makes quick work of getting a few fingers inside of him, but the actual process of working him open is too slow and careful. Josh gets impatient easily. Tyler slaps him gently on the outside of his thigh when he won’t stop wriggling, the other hand three fingers deep inside him also stops moving.

“You’re not in heat you’ve gotta be really prepped. Can’t just stick it in.” He chastises with a deep press of his fingers to make a point.

“You could.” He groans.

“You work for it then.” Tyler pulls his fingers out of him and sits back on his heels from where he was kneeling between Josh’s legs, looking at him expectantly. Josh half-wonders is Tyler hasn’t already gone into rut from how bossy he was being.

He grits his teeth in annoyance, but reaches with one hand to dip three fingers inside of himself, and the other hand is able to reach just far down enough to wrap around Tyler’s cock. His hand falters a few times around his grip on his alpha, mind preoccupied with the pleasure of fingering himself.

Tyler frowns in disapproval the third time it happens and snatches Josh’s hand that was shakily jerking him off. He brings Josh’s hand to his mouth and licks a long sloppy stripe up his palm before shoving it back around his cock, his own hand covering Josh’s to keep his grip firm and steady.

“Hurry up and get in me.” Josh complains when he feels ready enough.

Tyler looks at him skeptically like he doesn’t think Josh has enough fingers inside himself, but concedes anyway.

“Fine.” He doesn’t waste much time, pressing in slowly but all at once.

Josh scrunches his eyes shut and his toes curl of his own volition, partly due to pleasure but also in pain.

“Okay. Fuck. Don’t move.” Josh tries to get used to the sensation of Tyler’s cock feeling like it was pressed into his stomach.

“You asked for it.”

He doesn’t like the way Tyler’s words leave his mouth in a very ‘I told you so’ way, and so he clenches around him to make the alpha shut up while he tries to remember how to breathe. It only serves to make Tyler’s hips twitch forward, a quiet groan forming in the back of his throat. Josh’s eyes open when he feels Tyler’s hand around his dick, wet and purposeful strokes coaxing the pain to turn to pleasure.

“Relax.” He breathes, paying special attention to the rougey head of Josh’s dick. It’s painful in the best kind of way, and he’s quickly overwhelmed with the mix of conflicting sensations. Tyler hoists his legs up around his waist and Josh sees metaphorical stars, hot pleasure striking up his spine.

“There! Right there. Move.”

“Alright pup, I’m moving.” Tyler bends down to lick over Josh’s nipple, lavishing his chest the same time he starts moving, and Josh lets out a little cry at Tyler’s thrusting in roughly. 

For a moment, he’s enamored with the idea of putting his hand on his stomach and being able to feel Tyler inside of him. It’d be impossible, but he does so anyway just to make sure. Tyler’s eyes follow his hand and snaps his hips forward faster.

Josh blindly leans forward so he can throw an arm around Tyler’s neck to pull him down on top of him fully, legs squeezing around Tyler’s waist to keep him from moving away. Tyler’s stomach brushes Josh’s cock where it lays hard on his abdomen, and even that barest of contact there almost sends him over the edge already. He can’t help but scent Tyler’s neck as it’s so close to his nose, the action immediately awakening something inside of the alpha.

“Shit. Josh give me your hand.”

“What?” Josh gasps at the purposefully drag of his cock inside of him and throws his head back into the carpet, inadvertently exposing his neck.

Tyler grabs his hand and brings it to where his cock disappears inside of Josh, prompting him to open his eyes and through tremendous effort, look down, to see a knot at the base of his alpha’s dick.

“You’re early. Whoops.” Josh somehow finds the energy to tease him, rolling his hips down to try and get Tyler to lock them together.

“Shut up and let me knot your hand. You aren’t prepped enough to take it.”

Josh obediently squeezes Tyler’s knot, a surge of pride at how the alpha loses all semblance of control, rocking into Josh with fervor.

“You can-“ Josh has to pause to remember what he’s trying to say. “You should come inside me.”

Tyler bites down into his shoulder with a rumbling growl of happiness, Josh’s words enough to make him come, knot swelling in Josh’s hand and warmth exploding low in his belly. The warm feeling shocks Josh into coming untouched, his free hand scrambling to jack himself through it. Tyler marvels at the way Josh comes undone, shuddering and jaw slack, thighs tensing sporadically.

“How do you feel?” Tyler asks him once they’ve caught their breaths, Josh releasing his grip on Tyler’s knot.

Josh gives a sated smile. “Full.”

“Did you come just from me coming inside you?” Tyler asks a little awe-struck.

“Yeah, whatever don’t let it get to your head.” Josh grumbles, cupping the back of Tyler’s cool sweaty neck to pull him into the first kiss they’ve had in a week.

“I think that’s something we should explore.” Tyler mumbles into the kiss, smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“We’ll have a week to explore it, but right now-“ Josh squirms under Tyler, only being half knotted to his mate made his inner omega uncomfortable.

“It’s gonna be messy. We forgot a towel.” Tyler tries to soothe his discomfort by running his hands up and down Josh’s sides.

“You’ll just have to clean me up then.” Josh sighs, throwing an arm over his eyes.

In a quick motion that’s surprisingly smooth for Tyler, the alpha pulls out and drops to his stomach, pulling Josh’s legs over his shoulders and burying his face in between Josh’s thighs.

He whines, the sudden emptiness leaves an emptiness in his heart as well, until the flat of Tyler’s tongue licks a broad stripe against him and his dick gives a valorous twitch.

“Quit squirming.” Tyler reprimands him lightly.

“Can’t we just get toy? I kinda want to keep it in.” Josh blushes.

Tyler doesn’t even entertain the idea, using his forearm to press Josh’s hips down and still.

“S’just your nature talking dude. You’ll feel better once you’re clean.” He punctuates his point with a gentle lap of his tongue.

“You aren’t cleaning me up you’re trying to get me hard again.” Josh accuses.

“That’s just a fortunate side effect from me being so thorough.” 

Josh relaxes, letting himself enjoy being taken care of.

If Tyler’s rut continued like this, there wouldn’t be a problem at all.

—

“We’ve got a problem.” Mark corners him in a rare moment that Tyler wasn’t glued to his side, in the underbelly of another venue where apparently most things go wrong for him.

Josh lets himself be corralled into a spare closet, Mark’s nervous energy not helping the situation.

“Why are we hiding?” He whispers. The closet is pitch black except for the stream of light under the door. Mark accidentally kicks a mop and it wacks Josh as it falls over.

“We are hiding from your mate because he’s already defensive enough as it is because he’s in rut so I’d like to keep this under wraps, but he won’t leave you alone for more than two minutes at a time and I need to tell you before management does.”

The mention of management worries him, but before he could ask, a few people pass by their hiding place laughing loudly, causing them to keep silent. Mark let’s out a breath of relief once the crowd passes.

“Are you asking me to keep something from him? Because if so I rather not know what it is in the first place.”

“No! Not lie to him per sé but maybe not bring it up until he’s out of rut and less likely to fire somebody who doesn’t deserve it.” Mark pulls out his phone and the brightness momentarily blinds them both in the dark room.

It’s stuffy and warm and Josh shifts in uncertainty as Mark shoves his phone in his face. The twitter application is pulled up, a set of four photos without a caption, quickly gaining likes and retweets.

“This isn’t what it looks like.” Josh starts.

“Well to me, it looks like screenshots of you and Tyler in a physical fight.” Mark blinks at him.

The photos are clearly taken as screenshots through security footage from the hallway of a few venues back. The first photo shows Tyler grabbing Josh’s arm, the next shows him pulling Josh’s head to the side and biting down on his neck, the third shows Josh mid-shoving Tyler off of him, and the fourth is them leaned into each other, mouths open like they were yelling.

“Okay so it is what it looks like. But this isn’t as bad as it could be.” Josh bites down on his cheek.

“Isn’t as bad-?! Josh, this isn’t like the time screenshots of security footage got leaked of Tyler ordering food at Taco Bell, this looks bad!”

If the whole video had been posted it would’ve looked a lot different. Josh sighs, unwilling to deal with this when he’s got his hands full with taking care of Tyler.

“What’re the chances this will just disappear and people will forget about it? Bands fight all the time this isn’t news.”

“I mean there’s a chance, I guess. Just don’t bring it up or answer any questions. Let it die out on its own.”

He can sense Tyler coming before he hears or smells him, walking down the hallway towards him. And he also knows that even though his scent is carefully masked in scent neutralizer, that Tyler was bound to find him anyway with all his senses heightened during his rut.

“I really can’t deal with this right now. Let management handle it, I’ll keep quiet. Just let them figure it out.” Josh exits the closet before Mark can object, nearly crashing into Tyler as he does so.

Tyler catches him easily, surprised look on his face.

“This is the second time you’ve come out of the closet to me.”

“Hey. Fancy seeing you here.” Josh forgets to bite back a response, wanting to get as far away from the closet as possible. “Let’s go somewhere that’s not here.” He pulls Tyler to find someplace, anyplace that’s not in view of any security cameras or within earshot of Mark.

Tyler gets the wrong idea, thinking Josh is trying to find them a good place to fuck. While it was the wrong idea, it certainly wasn’t a terrible idea at least in Josh’s mind, and he’s more than willing to let Tyler fuck him up against the green room wall. It turns out to be a great distraction from thinking about stupid screenshots on social media.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you weren’t aware, the security footage of Tyler ordering food at a Taco Bell is actually something that really happened back around 2017. Lots of memes happened about it


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world starts to get even more suspicious about the leak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise double update :)

It’s clear that word is getting around about the photos whenever Michael starts sticking to their side as well. Josh quietly hides Tyler’s phone to keep him from checking any social media, but he doesn’t even think the alpha notices, mind too preoccupied with the constant stream of thoughts to ‘breed and bond’ his mate to worry about what strangers say online about him. Mostly, he’s just trying to keep people from facing Tyler’s hyper defensiveness. Which isn’t an easy feat. He can’t be there to keep Tyler in line 24/7 and consequently the complaints about Tyler’s ridiculous requests and reprimands for the slightest mix-ups circle back to him. He can’t help but feel a little inadequate as a partner.

In a moment of insecurity, he ends up calling Jenna in a quick second alone when he was supposed to be warming up for their show in a few hours.

Ever-thoughtful as she is, he can hear her scowl at him through the phone when he voices his concern in being a lousy partner.

“Josh, that’s how we all are through our ruts, you’re not inadequate. He was an asshole to them when I took care of him too, it doesn’t matter how good of a job you do.”

“Any advice then?”

“Hmm. Play into his instincts. Play up your need for him.”

“You mean be a submissive little omega so he feels bad for being a knothead?” Josh scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“No!” Jenna laughs. “I’m telling you to play him like the alpha he is! You’re the one helping him through his rut, he needs you and he knows that. Hold that over his head. His tact and courtesy have been replaced by more baser instincts right now. Bare your neck and have him at your feet, that kind of thing. Don’t let him push you around.”

“And what if I want him to push me around?”

“Then do it on your terms. He’ll listen. Above all his instinct to care for you will be at the forefront of his mind.”

“I’m not worried about him taking advantage of me. We’ve set clear boundaries on what he can and cannot do to me. Rut doesn’t turn him into a monster.”

“Just an asshole.” Jenna laughs and so does he.

“Yeah.”

“It’s easy to play an alpha the way you want them too when they’re in rut. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t... dominant.” She says encouragingly.

Debby always called him headstrong, courageous, and confident but dominant however definitely wasn’t in his vocabulary.

“Right.” He could do that. He thinks. “Thanks, Jen.”

He feels much better after his conversation with her, starting his warmup with renewed energy and anticipation.

—

It’s the very next day, in the middle of their soundcheck when the leak on twitter pales in comparison to what almost happens.

The venue had provided security for them in addition to their own security team. People they didn’t know. People that obviously didn’t know how to do their job very well because they accidentally leave their radio mics on while gossiping, Tyler and Josh able to hear everything through their in-ears.

Josh doesn’t even realize what he’s hearing first, he definitely doesn’t realize a pair of strangers are talking about him, until he looks to Tyler next to him onstage and he knows the alpha can hear it to.

“You hear that both of them have alpha partners? It’s not right. Goes against nature.” The first voices quips.

Josh and Tyler both look frantically around the arena to see who was talking into their mics, obliviously unaware that they could hear them.

“Yeah that beta is sourounded by alphas. You think all three of them use him? Pass him around? He probably lets them all use him at the same time.”

“Probably. You see the way he’s got the front-man under his thumb. Fucking beta knotslut.”

Tyler jerks out of his place onstage, spotting the culprits before Josh does.

“What did you just say?” Tyler stalks towards the two of them sitting in the sound booth on the floor of the arena, their eyes going wide.

Michael intervenes before Tyler can jump them, hearing what was going on through his own radio mic.  


Josh isn’t easily offended, the term knotslut had been watered down in today’s culture to refer to anybody that liked alphas, not just people that could actually take a knot; but he has to admit the derogatory remark does strike a hurtful chord in his chest

The rest of their security team jumps in when they realize Michael is struggling to contain him, half of them removing the two security guards from their position, the other half holding Tyler back while Josh finally catches up to him in the pit, everyone yelling over each other trying to be heard. Josh freezes, unsure of what to do, Tyler still fighting against security to go after the two even after they’re out of sight.

“I liked it better when the girl was around, at least she kept him in line.” One security member says to the other one holding Tyler around his middle. Josh isn’t meant to hear it, but he does anyway, an acrid taste burning in the back of his throat.

Remembering Jenna’s advice, he does the first thing he can think of.

“Tyler, look at me!” He calls.

Tyler turns around immediately, and Josh runs. Runs as fast as he can through the venue all the way down to the parking lot, knowing the alpha wouldn’t be able to refuse his instinct to chase after him. He weaves back and forth around different buses and 18-wheelers, making Tyler work to catch him, hoping to wear the fight out of him. Omegas are naturally faster and more limber but Tyler still gains ground on him. Josh barrels onto their bus, barely making it to the den where he knew Tyler would feel safe, before he lets Tyler tackle him to the floor. He puts up a fight, ignoring Tyler’s baring his teeth and growling in frustration, knowing truly it wasn’t aimed at him. He clocks Tyler a few times, and they roll around carelessly bumping into the couch and cabinets, until Tyler finally gets Josh pinned down onto his stomach, and clamps his teeth around the spot on the back of his neck, making him  go limp.

Tyler doesn’t let off him though, snarling into his bite on Josh’s neck. It wasn’t hard enough to completely immobilize him, but enough to make his body feel heavy like it was made out of concrete.

“That’s it. Take it out on me.” Josh moans, pushing his hips back into Tyler’s.

Tyler is more than willing to, gripping the back of Josh’s pants and underwear and tugging until they’re down to his thighs, testing to see if he’s still prepped from a few hours ago none to gently.

“I’m good from earlier, c’mon make me feel it.” He says impatiently. Tyler still scrambles for the lube that’s thankfully just in reach, messily drizzling it into his hand and stroking himself.

“Gonna hold you down. Make you take it.”

“Yeah, want you to.” Josh agrees knowing that’ll it’ll please Tyler’s alpha, a spark of anticipation in his stomach.

One of the alpha’s hands wraps around the back of his neck, and pushes his face into the carpet further, the other holds Josh’s hips up just enough.

“Okay?”

“Hurry up.” Josh has never gotten so hard so quickly, the feeling of Tyler’s body blanketing his and the skipping of foreplay somehow adding up to a melting pot of sensations that was mind numbing. It must’ve done something to Tyler as well because he pushes in roughly and quickly. The grip on his neck gets tighter, his cheek rubbing into the carpet in time with Tyler’s thrusts.

“Fuck me like you mean it or I’ll call Debby to fly down here and do it for you. Or Jenna.” Josh threatens.

It’s just the right thing to say to get Tyler to fuck into him aggressively and without remorse, the possessive anger poignant in the way he uses Josh’s body to release his pent up frustration.

“Keep your hips up.” Tyler orders, the hand on his hip leaving its place to wrap around his cock instead. “So wet.” Tyler growls into his ear, feeling Josh already dripping pre-come. “Can you **come** for me?” Tyler uses his voice to command him to do so, and Josh cries out at being forced to come so suddenly, hips jerking away from Tyler’s and into the coarse carpet, a moaning mess.

“That fucking hurt.” Josh’s voice breaks as Tyler doesn’t let up on milking Josh through the sharp and sudden orgasm

“Still good?”

“So good.” Josh moans as Tyler’s thrusts speed up.

“That’s a good pup. Doing so good.”

Josh preens under the praise, eyes slipping shut, stomach stirring with arousal again almost immediately, tears stinging the corner of his eyes from the overstimulation quickly setting in. The constant thrusts against that spot inside of him that Tyler could find blind, deaf and upside down, acutely over-saturating his senses.

In a surprising moment of tenderness, Tyler leans forward to kiss the tears from his cheek, chest rumbling soothingly.

“C’mon alpha, fill me up.” Josh provokes him.

Tyler does, popping his knot inside of Josh not moments later. Josh’s body goes slack at the warmth and contentment of being finally knotted, indulging in Tyler’s deep moans and rarely used strength against him, pinning him to the floor. Replacing the hand on his neck with his nose, Tyler scents him, searching for the scent hidden under suppressant and neutralizers. It’s there, Josh can only just barely make it out, due to the small room clouding with Tyler’s scent turned richer in his rut. He can physically feel when Tyler’s head finally clears of his rut-induced aggression, body laying heavily on top of him instead of purposefully holding him down.

“You bastard.” Tyler huffs, out of breath.

That wasn’t the first thing he imagined coming out of Tyler’s mouth when the alpha was lucid enough to say something other than growling and commanding, but he’d take it. The alpha’s cock throbbed inside of him and Josh suddenly feared he’d come on the carpet again just from that.

“You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist giving chase when you ran. You knew I wouldn’t let you run off alone.”

“Couldn’t let you kill the guys, could I?”

“I wasn’t going to kill them. But people have to know that it isn’t okay to talk down to you.”

“Your solution was to beat fear into them?”

“Not one of my better ideas.” Tyler begrudgingly admits.

Josh’s body trembles all over from the exertion of being fucked so hard, and can’t find the energy within him to respond. He mentally checks off the box labeled ‘being held down’ on his list of things he didn’t realize he was into.

“You’re the best cycle partner I’ve ever had and you’ve only been at it for four days. My rut hasn’t been nearly as bad because you’ve been so good at handling me. Don’t listen to them. You take it so well. My attitude and my knot.” Tyler nibbles on his ear.

Josh appreciates Tyler’s words but he doesn’t think it’s a very fair comparison because as far as he knows Jenna is the only other consistent cycle partner he’s had, so he doesn’t have a lot to compare to.  


They both know it’s unfair that Josh got compared to Jenna by the security team. Jenna never had to stop Tyler from punching them because she would never be called a knotslut in the first place because of her status as an alpha. But that’s just how it was. A vicious cycle. He and Jenna could both handle Tyler in the exact same way and she would be praised for how well she did, but Josh would be called a knotslut all because his alpha tried to defend him. All because of stupid screenshots leaking onto the internet of Tyler biting his neck.

“Thank you, Josh.” 

“Anytime.” He groans, resigning to be locked together on the floor for a half hour.

—

Things are quiet for a couple days. Josh keeps his head down through the next few shows, social media has been quiet and he thinks that the situation might’ve dissolved by itself after all. 

Of course he’s never that lucky. In the dead of night, he and Tyler were curled up together in the couch of Tyler’s den. The alpha had fallen asleep hours ago, and Josh was right there with him, until he was slowly brought out of his sleep by an insistent tapping.

“Psst.”

Josh thought he was hearing things at first, remanents of his sleep still clinging to his mind.

“Psst!” The tapping got louder in addition to the hissing. “Josh!” A scream-whisper came from the doorway, bringing him to full consciousness.

He sat up quickly, eyes adjusting to the dark room to find out who was there. Who else would it be other than Mark.

“What?!” Josh scream-whispered back, annoyed that it was nearing four in the morning and Mark had still chosen to wake him up.

The beta was standing outside the den looking nervous, making sure not to step a toe inside the room in fear of causing Tyler to wake up and put him in a full-nelson for intruding into his space. Their space. Mark made a waving motion like he wanted him to get up and follow him.

Josh snorted at him for thinking he would leave his cozy nest just to talk. He didn’t care if it was The Rock was outside waiting to meet him, he just wanted to sleep. Josh flicked him off, starting to lay back down.

“It’s urgent!” Mark hissed.

Tyler stirred gently and Mark’s face blanched, taking a few steps back.

Intent on throttling Mark for his mate so Tyler wouldn’t have to, Josh unraveled himself from Tyler’s embrace as gingerly as he could, lightly exiting the den. They paused, waiting for the alpha to somehow know the exact moment Josh had stepped outside the room. When he didn’t, Mark pulled him down the hallway of the bus and into the only other room with a door— the bathroom. It was uncomfortable at best, huddled across from each other on the floor with their knees pulled to their chests, Mark scrambling through his phone.

“What now?” Josh rubbed his eyes furiously to get the sleep out of them.

“The full video leaked. And it absolutely does not do those photo’s justice. And not only that, they’re analyzing all your mysterious injuries.”

“My what?” Josh snatched Mark’s phone.

There were photos of the rugburn on his cheekbone, bruises on his sides and of course the most damning piece of evidence of all- the bite mark on the back of his neck.

Josh blearily scrolled through the feed, frowning at people’s wild theories and accusations.

“What, they think Tyler is abusing me?!” He was stupefied.

“At the very least the think he’s abusing his privilege as an alpha to knock you around!”

“But he’s not hurting me! I’m a little roughed up because I’m helping an alpha- my mate need I remind you, through his rut. It’s just rug burn.”

Mark got a queasy look on his face. “I didn’t need to know that. Look I’m not one to tell you how to take a knot up your ass but maybe letting him shove your face into the floor and gotten all marked up was a bad move. For publicity’s sake. That bite in particular is causing a lot of controversy, because why would an alpha be biting a beta on the back of the neck?”

“He’s biting me on the side of my neck in that video though. That’s evidence that I could be a beta right?”

“He shouldn’t be biting you hard enough to leave a mark at all! You drum with your shirt off for a living you idiot!”

“Well there’s nothing I can do about that now! What does management say?”

“They’ve contacted the original poster to take it down but you know how these things spread we can’t get everybody to take it down.”

“They’ve got this all wrong.”

“You have to remember they don’t even know you and Tyler are together let alone your status. I think for most of the fanbase that theory is so out of the realm of possibility that of course the first thing they assume is that the alpha is being a knothead.”

“I guess that’s partly my fault for pushing the beta agenda so far.”

“Don’t say that. What’re you gonna do? Come out?”

“No! No. I don’t know.” Josh set’s Mark’s phone doesn’t a little too loudly on the floor of the bathroom.

“You’ve got a press day tomorrow. We’ve told them that they aren’t allowed to ask anything about this but you know interviewers. They always try to find vague ways to ask the questions they aren’t supposed to. You have to be prepared for that.”

Josh nods. “How much time do we have before management calls?”

Mark shrugs, signs of sympathy on his face.

“I’ll stall them for as long as I can.”  


Mark lets him go after that. He escapes the bathroom, and makes his way back to the den to settle in with Tyler, heart heavy with confusion and worry. 

It keeps him up for the remainder of the night, the worry only pausing when Tyler wakes up early in the morning to drowsily knot him. He gives Josh two orgasms first, just from lazily massaging his prostate with a few talented fingers and sweet kisses to the back of his sensitive neck. Josh isn’t sure Tyler even opened his eyes to do so, working from touch alone. He likes it like this the best, Tyler fucks him slowly and sleepily while cuddling him from behind, locking them together while in the comfort of the nest surrounding them, cleaning off his stomach for him with a spare sleeve of a hoodie Josh suspects to be his that was sticking out from underneath the couch.

Once he thinks Tyler has fallen back asleep even still nestled inside of him, he pulls his phone out and opens twitter again, wincing at the #tylerjosephisoverparty tag gaining traction. One photo of Josh’s rug-burned cheekbone, and an incredibly blurry photo of the marks on his neck is paired with the security video from the venue and multiple claims of abuse.

“Whas’ that?” Tyler asks groggily peering over his shoulder.

He should’ve waited until Tyler’s knot had gone down so he could’ve seen whether Tyler was really asleep or not.

“Nothing.” He goes to set his phone down, but he can’t get far enough away because they are literally tied together. Tyler grabs it first, damn alpha reflexes.

He can’t see Tyler’s reaction, being stuck together spooning, and the alpha doesn’t say anything to give away his thoughts for a few long minutes. Eventually, Tyler tosses his phone to the floor uncaringly, rolling them over so Josh is between him and the couch, Tyler on top. He gives one harsh thrust up into the omega, not being able to actually slide in and out of him due to his knot. He rocks into Josh, cock giving a few weak and delayed spurts inside of him.

Josh melts into the gentle motion of his hips, body feeling warm and relaxed like spot on the back of his neck had been bitten.

“Did you get aroused from seeing photos of me being roughed up?” He slurs. Sure he’d taken fake knots bigger than Tyler, but there was something to be said for a knot that had a pulse, warm and wet and attached to a body- a person that he loved and that could fill him up just right and satiate some of his more archaic and baser instincts. Not that he’d ever admit it.

“Don’t think I don’t know you got hard from being held down.” Tyler’s defensive laugh broke into a moan at a particularly good thrust, tightening his grip on the couch on either side of Josh’s head.

“You’re hardly one to talk. Don’t think I didn’t realize that you got off from holding me down, dude.” Two could play at that game. “I think we should explore that.” Josh echoes Tyler’s taunting from earlier that week, smiling to himself.

Tyler scoffs.

”What am I gonna do with you?”

Josh hums happily. “Keep me around hopefully? Next time I think we should ask for your rut off. It’d be nice to have more breaks anyway.” Josh sighs.

“Next time huh?” 

Josh can hear the smile in Tyler’s voice.

“Yeah. And every time after that for the rest of our lives if you’d like.”

Tyler presses a few soft kisses into his back, rubbing his cheek into Josh’s neck occasionally.

“I think I can live with that.”

—

Michael advises them to let Josh do the press day alone, Mark agreeing with him. Tyler would only be a sated and happy alpha for an hour or two at most after popping his knot since he was at the height of his rut and they couldn’t afford any bad press if the alpha decided to snap at an interviewer.

They make sure Josh is wrapped up in a hoodie (Tyler’s hoodie, to keep the alpha happy) to hide any evidence of markings. The rug burn on his cheek couldn’t be avoided but Josh easily blamed it on a skateboarding accident, the public knowing his love to skate and the various road burns he’s gotten in the past from falling off of his board.

He wasn’t used to doing interviews alone, stumbling through answers most of the time even with Mark there to back him up. They make it through the first four interviews without any problems before the fifth one shows up, a woman who seems like she knows too much already to begin with.  


She doesn’t give any hint of maliciousness in her voice but he can see in her eyes that she’s waiting until the end to ask him what she isn’t allowed too. He prepares for the worst.

“So I’ve read a lot of what people have said about you online lately. Especially certain things happening in photos and videos that have been circling the net. Do you have anything to say about it?” The woman is nice, but even house-cats have claws.

Mark opens his mouth to cut in, ready to tell this lady to shut her trap, but Josh holds his hand up not wanting to cause a scene.

“Um yeah. I think- well obviously those certain things can look pretty bad if that were to happen between two strangers...” Josh keeps the conversation hypothetical.

“But?” The woman prompts, eyes sparkling at the prospect of an exclusive story.

“But between two consenting adults that may or may not have permission to do those certain things...” Josh trails off catching the confused looks on a few of the people faces in the room who are clearly not in on the topic.

The woman sits back into her seat and crosses her legs, evaluating him for moment.

“Are you saying that you two are together-“

“I’m saying it’s not what people are saying it looks like. And it’s not their right to speculate.” Josh cuts her off before she forces him to admit anything personal.

She tilts her head at him, regarding him with a strange and uncertain look on her face before the timer sounds and her time-slot is over.

“Okay then. Thank you for your time.” She nods skeptically, standing up and making way for the next interviewer to sit in her spot, who thankfully doesn’t ask him any personal questions at all. One of those interviewers that knows nothing about them besides their chart data and video hits. He’s grateful.

Mark gives him a proud nod, seemingly very happy with his response to the woman.

Now he just had to answer to management. Although after his response to this interviewer maybe he wouldn’t have to. His answer was plenty enough to feed and quell the public and surely management would understand that.

Tyler in particular was proud of him for speaking up, hearing Josh’s declaration through the grapevine that was Mark and Michael. It wasn’t a complete admission of their relationship, but it was the first spoonful of a big bowl of complicated explanations that the public would have to be spoon fed slowly until they were ready to completely come out with the truth, should they ever decide to do so.

And for once Josh wasn’t afraid, thinking about the possibility of coming out in the future with Tyler by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	11. Chapter 11

A few months later, with more than a handful of ruts and heats under their belt, they go on hiatus. It’s a scary thought at first, having no other obligations to anyone but themselves, but at the same time it’s a welcome one.

Josh goes to California for no more than a few days at a time, his house there still mostly void of furniture and Debby, although he sees her on good terms occasionally. When he’s in Columbus, his house there stays empty as well, because it’s also void of furniture and Tyler, even though he sees him practically everyday. The emptiness of his surroundings doesn’t sit well with him, and Tyler certainly doesn’t complain when Josh slowly all but moves in with him, even though Josh would deny it to his family.

“He hasn’t technically asked me to move in. Think of it just like an infinite sleepover.” Josh assures his mother who’s livid that Josh is living with an alpha that he hasn’t bonded with yet, even if he and Tyler were destined to do so at some point. Some traditions die hard even for the Dun family who was much more liberal than most when it came to relationship dynamics.

Almost half a year into their break, a new album in the works and their fourty-sixth “sleepover” in a row, they both sat in Tyler’s kitchen in the late hours of the afternoon having a healthy dunch (dinner/lunch also known as the time of day where you’re allowed to eat anything as long as it doesn’t spoil your dinner as Tyler explained to him once) of cereal, when the calendar on Tyler’s refrigerator door caught Josh’s eye as he put the milk away. Highlighted in yellow, three weeks away was a big letter “R”.

“Your ruts in three weeks.” Josh commented, noting in the back of his head that they needed to get more milk.

“Is it?” Tyler squints at the calendar from his place at the table, hand holding a spoonful of coco-puffs poised in the air halfway to his mouth.

The sight stirs something in Josh’s chest, taking in how comfortable Tyler looked in his own home. Josh should’ve figured that it was Jenna who made the calendar from how organized it was and from how he knew how often Tyler was prone to forget his rut until it hit him. 

Rejoining him back at the table, Josh rubs the Columbus ‘x’ tattoo behind his ear in concentration.

“You know, my heats supposed it hit in three weeks.”

Tyler pauses around his mouth-full of cereal, looking up at Josh and then back down to his bowl, chewing more thoughtfully.

“Oh.” Tyler says simply, once he swallows.

 _Yeah._ Josh thinks. _Oh._ They both know it’s risky to spend their cycles together, because it’d be impossible to make it through it together without bonding. It’s hard enough to resist claiming each other when it’s just one of them going through their cycle when they help each other through it. But with both of them being under the influence of their instincts it’d be unimaginably painful to deny the urge to claim.

“We could spend it in different houses.” Josh winces as the words leave his mouth, the thought of spending his heat alone after having a partner for so long was distressing at the very least.

“We could.” Tyler nods a little pensively, stirring his spoon in the milk in his bowl that’s turned chocolatey from his cereal. “But we could also spend it together.” Tyler tries to make it sound like it isn’t a big deal, even though the implications hang heavy in the atmosphere of the kitchen that’s lit up brightly in the afternoon sun streaming through the windows.

“We could.” Josh agrees, his tone carrying an air of flippancy like he didn’t have much of an opinion either way, not wanting to sway Tyler’s decision should he have one. They didn’t have to make a choice right then. It was a big step. They could afford to think about it.

The talk of it dies there for now, drowned in chocolatey-sweet kisses and the distant chirping of little birds in the quiet seclusion of the woods surrounding Tyler’s home. It makes Josh feel safe.

—

Josh would be lying if he said he didn’t spend the next week googling various ridiculous searches like _‘How do you know when you’re ready to bond?’_ and _‘Has a bond ever gone wrong?’_ and _‘What is a mateship like after bonding?’_ and other questions that left him confused but also fairly confident that this was what he wanted. He could’ve just asked his mother, or his sister, or hell- even Michael, but the thought of his close ones knowing he was considering getting bonded made him a little squeamish. And their teasing was the last thing he needed right now.

It’d only been just over a year since he and Tyler had found out they were mates. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they’d known that their cycles were bound to match up sometime, but their fast paced lifestyle and sudden hiatus being at the forefront of their mind had put that thought on the back burner. 

The idea of bonding had had been categorized as a bridge that they could cross when they got around to it. Well the bridge was here and Josh didn’t know if he wanted to cross it yet or not. It might be a while before their cycles matched up again and they had the opportunity to bond. They might be in the next era in a random city when it happened again. But at the same time, he didn’t want to bond just because the timing was impeccable, he wanted to bond when it felt right. Somehow, it did feel right.

He just wondered if Tyler was on the same page.

—

“Hey mom, how did you know when you were ready to bond?”

Jay snorted at him from across the couch.

“You’re 29 and asking our mom for mate advice? You know google is free, bro?”

Tyler kicked him in the shin and faced his mother’s shining eyes. Maybe it was a mistake asking her after all.

“Mom, don’t get all watery-“

She held up her hands in a motion of truce.

“It’s difficult to explain, like most emotions are, but you just know when the time is right.” His mother cleared her throat.

“Well that’s my problem. I know it’s a good time to... since we are on a break-“

“Bleh, yuck I don’t want to hear this.” Jay interrupted, clapping his hands over his ears and fake retching.

“-but I don’t know if I want to just because it’s a good timing. What if we aren’t ready for it?” Tyler glared at his brother’s melodrama.

His mother rounded the couch and sat next to him, patting his knee lightly.

“Honey, nothing bad can come out of a bonding if both of you want it. Do you feel ready?”

“Been ready since I met him.” He admitted quietly.

“Then you already know the answer.” She smiled.

Tyler kicked his brother again just because he could and it made him feel better.

“You know you’re an alpha too you’re gonna have to go through this if you ever find some poor sap that likes you.”

“Yeah. But I sure as hell won’t ask my **mom** if I’m ready to bite them when the time comes, momma’s boy.” Jay teased him.

“Boys!” Their mother quipped at both of them and they stopped bickering immediately. 

Jay rolled his eyes but shoulder-checked him when their mother had her back turned, nodding to him in silent support of Tyler’s dilemma.

He just wondered if Josh was on the same page.

—

True to their fashion, they don’t talk about it until the problem is staring them both in the face. Time had gotten away from them like it always seemed to, and nearly two weeks had gone by.

They had to go grocery shopping, although they had to double up on their stock this time with both of them going through their cycles at the same time. It was normally something Josh looked forward to, going to their local twenty-four hour walmart at three in the morning to decrease the chance of being recognized, take their time picking out items and sneaking in tired kisses between empty aisles due to the early hour of the morning.

But Tyler’s nervous energy hung between them, making the alpha cling to him more closely. It was clear Tyler was distracted, putting whatever his hand landed on into their basket without checking if it was a useful item to have. They needed pre-made or easy to make meals and fresh food. It was usually Josh that sprung for lunchables and Tyler was the one that would put them back on the shelves when Josh wasn’t paying attention, due to Jenna’s ingrained and repeated scolding on his dietary choices from when they were together. But it seemed it was the other way around this time. The fourth time Josh removed a gallon of ice-cream from their cart, he turned to the other man who looked like he hadn’t even realized he’d been sneaking treats into their basket.

Tyler’s top teeth were sunk into his bottom lip, face pulled into a conflicted frown as his gaze focused on the mylar balloons in the party section a few rows over. Josh would write it off as Tyler’s disdain for balloons if he didn’t know better.

“I wouldn’t mind spending it with you, you know. And all that comes with it. But we’ll have other breaks and times off in the future if you don’t want to bond right now. I get it.” Josh rips the metaphorical bandaid off.

Tyler snaps his gaze from the party section to Josh with wide eyes, sticking his hands into the front pocket of Josh’s hoodie and dragging him into a different aisle that way. Josh is barely able to snatch their cart and take it with them as he’s manhandled.

“Shhh!” Tyler hushes him, tugging on the hood of his own hoodie over his head nervously. “We’re in the middle of Walmart you can’t just throw the B- word around like that!”

Josh laughs at Tyler’s seriousness.

“What? Oh you mean bond?” He asks loudly just to watch Tyler scramble like he wanted to climb inside the shelving. “You don’t want the whole world knowing that I want you to bond me?”

Tyler’s hand slaps over his mouth and he’s pushed back into the shelf of Oreos, the alpha looks around frantically to see if anyone’s heard them.

“Do YOU want the world to know?” Tyler asks him in accusation, but Josh can see the ecstatic gleam in his eye at the prospect of claiming each other. 

Tyler lets him go when he’s sure Josh isn’t going to announce it over the Walmart speaker. A pack of Oreos drops from the shelf when he steps back and Josh picks it up.

“We probably broke the cookies inside. We’ve gotta buy it.” Josh holds the packet gently.

“A bond isn’t something that we can hide when we come back into the spotlight.” Tyler ignores Josh’s worry over the broken cookies, letting him throw the package into their basket. “Unless we don’t say anything, let the people believe we both took this break to bond with our other ‘partners’ in life.”

“We? What do you mean we would have to hide? I’m the one who’s going to have the bite mark for all eternity.” Josh huffs.

Tyler frowns at him and shoves his hands into his hoodie pocket again, this time for comforts’ sake and not to drag him away.

“Well, yeah. I mean ‘we’ because I want you to bite me back. Duh.”

Josh’s mind goes a little haywire. Officially, omegas didn’t _need_ to bite the alpha to complete the bond. A bond works just fine when the alpha bites the omega alone, something left over in their genetic makeup from older times when it was common-place for alphas to claim more than one omega. The bond would stick though, if an omega claimed an alpha back, the mark would stay there just like a claiming bite on an omega, it just wasn’t a very common practice even in today’s age. But more and more couples were adopting it into their relationship as it was a sign of true devotion to one another in addition to the rumors that it made the bond stronger when both parties claimed each other. It was a big deal for an alpha to let someone mark their mating gland and he should’ve figured that Tyler would want it to but he hadn’t exactly given it much thought.

“Unless you don’t want my blood on your teeth.” Tyler joked nervously, mistaking Josh’s silence for hesitancy. 

Josh shook his head and yanked on the strings of Tyler’s hoodie to pull it closed around his face to break the staring contest between them. It worked, Tyler struggling to reopen his hood so he could see again while Josh took a moment to wrap his mind around Tyler wanting him as much as he wanted Tyler. Deep down he already knew that to be true but hearing it aloud still made his stomach flutter.

“No, of course I do. Let them think what they want. We don’t have to hide our bites but we don’t have to tell them who’s teeth it matches either.” Josh kicks his shoe against the floor where their cart had made a scuff mark on the beige tile, the offensively bright lights shining down on them from the ceiling suddenly making him feel very exposed. “Unless you want to come right out and tell them.”

Tyler smiles softly at him, tying the strings of his hoodie into a bow so Josh can’t pull on them again.

“When have we ever told them something outright? It’d go against everything we’ve ever done to come right out and say it. They know by now that I’m.... what do they call me again?”

“A cryptic bastard.” Josh cracks a smile, knowing it’s what Tyler was trying to get out of him.

“Exactly. We’ll be fine.” Tyler steers them toward the self-checkout line, observing their haul and finding Jenna would be proud of their mostly fresh selection.

“Okay. So it’s settled.” Josh can’t help the grin that adorns his face, excitedly bouncing on his toes in anticipation for the next week. “If we are gonna do this. We need to make one more stop before we head home.”

“Oh? Where?” Tyler asks, bent over beside their cart trying to reach the case of red bull on the bottom shelf. 

Josh resists the urge to slap his butt in public.

“You’ll see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break in between chapters, I’ve been pre-occupied with the state of the world, but I have every intention of completing this work don’t worry. Thank you to everyone who keeps coming back and reading as I update!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter for making you wait so long. I smushed two chapters together to give you 6k of smut, I hope you’re ready for them to bond!

“A porno place?” Tyler squeaks in indignation, sliding down in the passenger seat of Josh’s car in an attempt to not be seen, even though they’re the only ones in the ten-space parking lot.

“Actually it’s a sex shop.” Josh kills the engine, looking up at the bright pink neon sign of the dodgy establishment settled underneath the overpass.

“Your regular toys not doing it for you?” Tyler shrinks down further into his seat, attempting to merge into the leather. 

“Your refractory period is way longer during rut and mine is practically non-existent during heat so I’d like to get a fake knot to hold me over during that time, now are you coming in with me or not?” Josh crosses his arms at Tyler’s grimacing look. “It’s 4 a.m. and we’ve got groceries in the backseat I promise we’ll be quick.” Josh concedes when Tyler doesn’t move to unbuckle his seatbelt.

“Why do you need me to come with you?”

“Because believe it or not your opinion on what goes _in_ me kind of matters _to_ me. But I’ll gladly go in and get one bigger than you if you’re that nervous about being seen... alpha.” Josh teases him, opening his door and stepping out towards the shop without any indication of waiting for his alpha to fall into step beside him. The tactic works just as he suspected it would, Tyler scrambling to catch up behind him and open the door to the shop for him.

Tyler keeps his hood over his head, following behind Josh like a lost puppy as Josh zips right to the correct aisle, a menagerie of fake knots on display. The alpha keeps his eyes on the old maroon carpet beneath their feet, practically glueing himself to Josh’s back in an unconscious effort to be close to him in an unfamiliar situation.

Josh picks up the first one he sees, turning to Tyler and pointing the obscenely huge and anatomically impossible thing at him.

“You don’t know how many people have touched that.” Tyler scrunches up his nose and Josh rolls his eyes.

“Hold on, let me pull up a reference photo.” Josh sets the knot back on the cheap wire shelf and pulls out his phone.

“A what?!” Tyler hisses. The attendant at the counter across the room doesn’t even blink.

Josh pulls up a saved nude of Tyler’s dick on his phone, hard and proudly on display, Tyler’s hand wrapped around it just above the base.

“Don’t pull up my nudes in public!” Tyler whisper-argues.

Josh ignores him.

“Here, hold this.” Josh commands, picking up another dildo and urging Tyler to take it.

“What? Why?” Tyler’s voice cracks as Josh shoves the silicone knot into his hands.

“Because you’re holding your knot in this photo and I want to get an accurate idea of size. Hold it like your holding your knot in the photo, I want to get one that’s as close to your size as possible.”

Tyler does as he’s told, holding a vibrant purple dildo at its base, a hot flush of self-consciousness running down his spine in combination with a rush of pride at Josh’s insistence of accuracy to Tyler’s own dick.

“This is embarrassing.”

“Can I help you?” The attendant sneaks up behind them, Tyler jumps violently in surprise, hugging the dildo to his chest instinctually. 

Josh hides the photo from her, hoping she didn’t see anything she wasn’t supposed to.

“We’re good, thanks.” Josh dismisses her so Tyler doesn’t have to.

“You know, we do have home-kits to make your own silicone mold, if you’re interested.” She points to what looks like a bag of concrete on the shelf behind them.

Josh’s eyes light up likes it’s Christmas.

“No. Absolutely not.” Tyler firmly refuses him before Josh can get any ideas.

“We also offer a 3D printing if you don’t want to make one at home, you just have to give us the proper.... dimensions.”

“And have my proportions get leaked onto the internet so anybody can print out a copy of my dick? I don’t think so.” Tyler turns them both down.

“We are a very discreet, sir.” She insists. 

Tyler looks around the store, from the water-stained ceiling, to the vhs porno selections from the 1980’s, to the “lightly used equipment” section that made his stomach feel queasy. He didn’t believe for one second that discretion was high on the stores’ list of priorities.

“No.” Tyler refuses to budge.

Josh throws a mock pity-party after she leaves them to their devices, eventually settling on a knot that’s just barely bigger than Tyler’s, bright blue and offensively sparkly but definitely brand new, much to his relief. Josh pays for it to make up for putting Tyler through the humiliation of helping him, and Tyler has a sneaking suspicion that he intentionally loses their game of rock, paper, scissors when they play to see who would have to carry the groceries inside once they arrive home, because he feels a little bad about Tyler’s discomfort in the shop. 

“You wanna help me break this thing in?” Josh strips the new toy out of its packaging and waves it towards Tyler in a way that’s supposed to be tantalizing but it only makes him laugh.

“Aren’t you supposed to boil that thing first?”

Josh shrugs. “You willing to wait and watch a dildo float around in a pot of water?”

“Fuck it.” Tyler shakes his head and steals the toy away from him, racing up the steps to the bedroom with Josh hot on his heals doubling over in laughter and excitement. 

—

To say the air between them was “tense” was an understatement, only growing worse the closer and closer it got to the start of their cycles. The anticipation and nervousness screwed with Josh’s internal clock and he could feel his heat coming on earlier than it was supposed to. Like a physical countdown to the biological alarm that was moments away from going off.

Josh tries his best to hide the fact that his heat is itching up his spine earlier than it’s supposed to, although he knows Tyler can probably smell it. His heat only lasted five days at the most as it was, and if it hit early, then the period of time that they could bond would be even narrower.

He wakes up before the sun rises the day before he’s scheduled to start; fervent, sweaty and suffocating underneath the single thin sheet laid over them in bed. Cursing quietly, he slinks into the bathroom so as to not wake Tyler, lethargically turning on the shower, and pulling the handle to the coldest it will go. He swears that his skin starts to steam as soon as the icy droplets hit his overheated body. 

He was only in pre-heat but it felt like it was coming on like a freight train, probably due to the close proximity of his mate who was about to hit his rut. He sighs in pleasure as the cold water somewhat cleared the hazy fog from his head. He knew Tyler wouldn’t like it because it would wash away his natural scent, but he washes his hair and body anyway, knowing that this would probably be the last good shower he’d have in a few days.

The bathroom door opens just seconds later, Tyler thrusts the curtain open and climbs into the shower without being invited, struggling a little to get his lanky and tired body into the tub without falling. He doesn’t say anything, a full pout forming on his lips when the freezing water hits his skin. He reaches around Josh, turning the handle to hot, and then on second thought, turns it halfway to lukewarm in compromise for the both of them knowing Josh was burning up.

“Come on in then.” Josh’s voice is croaky from lack of use.

Tyler slaps Josh’s hip for his teasing and lets his forehead rest on Josh’s shoulder tiredly. 

“Jus’ wanted to be close. Didn’ wanna wait till you got out.” Tyler slurs, loosely wrapping his arms around Josh’s waist. 

Smugly, Josh realizes that the stress from dancing around each other all week must’ve been affecting Tyler too, noting how clingy he was being.

Tyler raises his head enough to place a few kisses over his mating gland at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, causing Josh to shiver despite the heat in his stomach. For a moment, Josh entertains the idea of just pushing Tyler’s face into his neck and urging him to bond him already. He doubts the bite would take this early in their cycles but that doesn’t mean the temptation to do so isn’t there, especially when Tyler starts to nibble, sharp teeth scraping over his skin. Josh can feel himself getting slick from the stimulation on the sensitive spot.

It’d be so easy to get him to do it. Josh is sure that Tyler would do anything he asked at this point without questioning it, especially with the urge to bond each other already so strong and they haven’t even really started their cycles yet. The thought of a failed bond just barely keeps him from begging Tyler for it though. He’s heard the horror stories of half-bonds that leave people emotionally aching and so sore-hearted that it makes them physically sick, and doesn’t want to risk it just because he’s horny.

Tyler is practically purring into his shoulder, his sneaky fingers sliding down to where Josh is dripping slick at this point, and slips in a couple fingers without any theatrics. Josh pulls gasps at how quickly something as simple as this gets him riled up. 

Experimentally, he leans forward enough to lick over Tyler’s own mating gland, his scent waterlogged from the shower but still present there. The action seems to snap Tyler awake, entering a third finger into Josh and crooking them as best he can from the angle they stand in.

“Let’s-“ Josh stutters as Tyler’s other hand wraps around his dick, lightly and slowly. “Let’s go to bed.” Josh asks him, reaching blindly behind himself to turn the water off. 

Tyler doesn’t let them stop to towel off after they stumble out of the shower together, and Josh relishes in the rare moment of not being berated for dripping water onto the carpet as Tyler shoves him towards the bed.

“Can I ride you?” 

Tyler doesn’t trust his voice, nodding enthusiastically and pulling Josh over his lap as he sits up at the headboard. The desperate need to be connected overrides the desire to make it last, Josh sinking down onto Tyler’s length easily from his gentle prep in the shower and his body already anticipating the onset of his heat.

Josh’s hips rise and fall with urgency, already missing the pressure on his neck. He reaches up and presses down on the spot, anxiously trying to re-create the feeling of Tyler’s teeth on his mating gland. It sends a dull throb all the way down to his toes and he cries out, wanting more, more, more.

Tyler rips his hand away and replaces it with his teeth, growling impatiently and guiding Josh up and down with a helpful grip around his waist. Tyler snaps his hips up as best as he can, both of them surging to the edge embarrassingly fast, although Josh has an excuse for it, being in pre-heat. Josh doesn’t let Tyler roll them over when he warns him that he’s about to come with a pat on his hip, clamping his thighs down and riding him near desperately. He has a sudden infatuation with the surprising intimacy of the position they’re in, wrapped around each other.

“Would you bond me like this?” Josh asks, out of breath from exertion and impatient longing.

Tyler releases his bite on Josh’s neck and leans back enough to look him in the eyes and blink slowly at his question.

“Wha?” Tyler’s eyes are glazed over in hunger, his fingers digging into Josh’s hips painfully.

“Would you bond me in this position?” Josh is barley able to clarify, mind preoccupied with the pleasure of feeling Tyler’s cock fattening up inside of him.

Logically, he know’s the position is hardly practical, but the comfort and reassurance of being held like this wins out even knowing he’ll have to deal with his cramped legs afterwards. He’s sure Tyler won’t mind Josh’s weight in his lap for half an hour as long as Josh is keeping his knot warm.

Tyler just nods dumbly, looking up at Josh dreamily, his pupils blown out over his iris’. The alpha tenses beneath him and he pulls the sheet up around Josh’s shoulder’s just in time to sink his teeth into into it over Josh’s neck so he doesn’t break the skin beneath it accidentally, and stills them both as he falls over the precipice. The intensity and depth of the bite sends Josh into a unexpected orgasm, following Tyler’s own.

He’s glad Tyler is able to multitask as they come together, the alphas hand encircles his cock and jacks him through it.

Josh keens, throwing his arms around Tyler and resting his cheek on the alphas shoulder, purring happily. They both jerk in place when Tyler releases his bite on his neck and breathes in deeply, chest rumbling in happiness.

“Smart thinking with the sheet.” Josh huffs brokenly.

Tyler splutters over-dramatically as if he was trying to spit cotton out of his mouth from biting down on the fabric. 

“I knew I wouldn’t be able resist biting you. Didn’t want to bond you too early.” Tyler rubs his nose behind Josh’s ear to scent him once he removes all of the imaginary fibers from his mouth. 

Bonding was only going to get harder and harder to resist as the days went on.

“I wanted it now.” The words slip out before Josh can think not to and Tyler nips at his ear, shaking his head fondly.

“Be patient.” Tyler soothes. “We’ve got a few days. Let’s rest while we can.” 

Josh nods against Tyler’s shoulder, already wishing for another shower.

—

Their cycles do end up being a little mismatched, Tyler’s knot doesn’t pop until the following day during which time Josh falls into a much worse state. 

He’s feverish and inconsolably desperate even after Tyler knots him, squirming in distress while Tyler tries to relieve the pain every way he can think of, lavishing Josh’s body in attention and soft touches until his knot goes down enough that he can pull out and immediately replace his cock with the silicone one.

Josh cries when Tyler makes him come again just from pressing the toy into him, and Tyler doesn’t think he’ll ever get over how sensitive Josh is in heat, marveling when Josh’s cock doesn’t even go slightly soft after two orgasms.

He gives him a third by going down on him under the blankets, feeling a little bad about making him come so many times so quickly but he also knows overstimulation is the only way Josh’s dick will flag in the slightest for a little while, so it’s worth it to see Josh pulled into hyper-sensitive tears when it gets him coherent enough to go downstairs for a few minutes so they can eat a quick meal.

The next two days pass in much of the same manner, Josh succumbing quickly to his needs. Making each other come just to get a moment of rest and clarity was exhausting but fulfilling emotionally (and literally on Josh’s part).

“This is a bad one huh?” Tyler asks, referring to Josh’s very demanding heat this time around. He has to carry Josh back up the stairs after dinner on the third day, the omega already succumbing back to his heat not even a ten minutes after Tyler makes him come twice upstairs and a third time at the dinner table while Josh half-mindedly chugs down a vitamin water. 

“It’s your fault.” Josh pants.

“Mine?!” Tyler indulges in the bait, glad Josh is feeling okay enough to banter with him.

“If you’d just breed me already it wouldn’t be this bad.”

Tyler’s brain blue-screens, trying to comprehend Josh’s words behind the ringing in his ears that sounds like the beeping of a tv with no signal.

“What?” Tyler gets ahold of himself finally, depositing Josh onto the bed and pouncing on him, pinning him to the sheets. “You want me to breed you?” Tyler growls, inner alpha gnawing at the bit to get inside of Josh just from a few simple words.

Josh frowns and shoves Tyler off of him in a moment of strength, but the alpha doesn’t allow him to go far, Josh only manages to roll onto his front before Tyler pins him down again, draping himself over Josh’s back and rutting against him aggressively.

“Bond.” Josh corrects himself. “I meant to say bond not breed, you mutt.” Josh snaps at him, purposefully wiggling underneath Tyler to make it harder for him to trap him down, secretly enjoying the fight. “You can’t even breed me. I’m on birth control.”

Tyler bites the back of his neck viciously, his rut-induced hostility jumping to the surface at Josh’s antagonizing. He quickly remembers himself, kissing the bite in apology even as Josh moans, getting exactly what he wanted out of the alpha- for Tyler to take out his aggression on him. 

“Maybe don’t talk about birth control when all I can think about is putting a couple of my pups in you.”

“Why not? Debby loved it when I taunted her about pups, made her work harder to fuck me.” Josh’s smile drops with his jaw as Tyler forces two fingers into his mouth.

“Don’t talk about other alphas fucking you either.” Tyler punctuates his point by pointedly shoving his cock into Josh, the omega gasps around his fingers, rolling his hips back as best he can while he’s trapped underneath the alpha. 

Tyler snarls and snaps his teeth down onto the spot on the back of Josh’s neck as he thrusts into him, abruptly stopping when he tastes blood in his mouth and realizing that he’d broken the skin and Josh’s body had gone limp underneath him.

“Shit. Josh, are you with me? Didn’t mean to bite that hard.” Tyler licks up the tiny droplets of blood beading from the bite.

“Do it again.” 

“You’re sure?” Tyler’s concern for Josh’s wellbeing took precedence over popping his knot and more importantly Josh’s ability to tell him to stop if need be.

“Please. I’m so tired.” Josh sighs. 

Tyler knows how it helps him sleep longer. He’d been borderline heat-stricken these past few days, the compulsive need to be constantly filled up was torture— his body knowing their cycles had matched up and was waiting to be bonded, Josh hadn’t gotten even a full half hour of sleep yet in the past 72 hours. 

“Okay, pup. I’ve got you.”

Tyler bites him again as his knot pops inside of him and locks them together, hoping that being knotted as the last thing Josh feels before the bite would help him calm down. He gnashes his teeth in the back of his neck until Josh goes completely pliant underneath him, humming happily.

Tyler’s stomach swoops when he sees his work on the back of Josh’s neck, a dark bloom of red and purple forming in the oval shape of his teeth. He wonders if the bond bite would be this pretty. He shakes his head a little, attempting to clear away the pride he feels at marking Josh up. Instead, he throws an arm around Josh’s waist and delicately moves them onto their sides so he doesn’t suffocate him while they sleep, curling up behind him to appease his inner alphas’ need to be close to him, and protect him while he’s incapacitated.

—

He’s shocked to find when he wakes again, that the sun is risen and he’s successfully slept through the night. Josh doesn’t appear to have have moved much at all, resting peacefully on his front. Tyler can’t help but kiss him awake. It’s selfish, knowing Josh needs the sleep, but he’s unable to deny himself the privilege.

Josh blinks rapidly up at Tyler like he doesn’t realize he’s awake at first, but when he does, he breaks out into a blinding smile brighter than the sunlight streaming through the floor to ceiling windows across the room.

“Good-morning.”

Tyler is surprised by the clarity in Josh’s voice. He scratches his nails across Josh’s scalp in a way that’s not unlike petting a dog.

“Sorry for biting you so hard.” Tyler’s stomach twinges with guilt.

“Are you kidding? That’s the most sleep I’ve ever gotten during a heat.” Josh rubs his eyes with the back of his hand and fumbles for his phone on the bedside table to check the time. “It’s been what? 8 hours? I feel great. Thank you.” Josh kisses the bridge of his nose and smiles up at him again.

Josh is able to make it to the bathroom without passing out from how much he needs it, but Tyler doesn’t let him go alone, his rut making it physically impossible for them to not be in the same room as each other without Tyler going mad. Josh doesn’t mind, pulling them into a hasty shower. He allows Tyler wash his body as he washes his hair, the simple task of caring for his mate while getting to touch him at the same time proves to be a great distraction so Josh is also able to brush his teeth without Tyler getting impatient and grumpy.

It’s a bit more challenging to get them both fed and hydrated, Tyler being a little belligerent about making sure Josh eats his fill before starting to eat his own meal even though they have more than enough food in the house for the two of them. Some instincts can’t be reasoned with.

By the time they’re finished, Josh has started to get antsy again, zero orgasms in eight hours making the need to be knotted near excruciating. He strips out of the clothes that he wonders why they even bothered to put on as he clambers up the steps back to the bedroom, Tyler right behind him.

Tyler orders him to sit in the chair as he changes the sheets and brings out fresh blankets. Normally he wouldn’t bother, but if he’s going to bond Josh he’s at least going to spoil him a little. If clean sheets at the bare minimum can be considered doting.

When he finishes making the best nest he can on the bed, and turns to Josh spread out on the loveseat by the window, already shakily fingering himself to take the edge off.

For the first time since his rut started Tyler stops to just watch him, and soak in how gorgeous he looks in his effortlessly Josh sort of way.

Tyler’s eyes trail to Josh’s neck where a bruise stands out starkly against his pale skin where Tyler had bitten down a few days prior.

“Does it hurt?” He asks, knowing full well he was going to break the skin there very soon and make the mark even darker— and permanent.

Josh shakes his head, an easy smile on his face, but the dark flush of his cock betrays his desperation.

“Help me out?”

“You look like you’ve got it under control.” Tyler reasons, half wanting to watch Josh come undone just like this.

“It feels better when you give them to me.” Josh sucks on his bottom lip, squinting through the sunlight in his eyes.

Tyler stalks slowly towards him, kneeling beside the seat and grabbing ahold of Josh’s wrist. Josh’s hand stops moving but his fingers don’t, Tyler can feel the tendons in Josh’s wrist contracting under his thumb as Josh crooks his fingers inside of himself.

“ **Come**.” He commands with his voice out of curiosity, a sick thrill going through him when Josh’s whole body snaps and he comes instantaneously, warm and wet over his heat-flushed skin. Josh’s chest heaves as he recovers from the ruined orgasm, grasping for Tyler to take him to bed.

“Need you in me. Not enough.” 

Tyler nods like he understands but doesn’t make a move to take it to the freshly made bed. Instead his eyes are trained on Josh’s hand, pulling it out of him with a firm grip on his wrist and bringing the two digits to his mouth like he’s on autopilot. He hums as he licks the slick from Josh’s fingers without any finesse behind it, eyes slipping shut as if that’ll help him concentrate better and making indulgent noises like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted. Josh never understood the fascination that alphas had with the taste, having tried it once out of boredom and finding nothing especially spectacular about it, but he wasn’t about to question the way it got Tyler riled up.

Tyler’s eyes drowsily pull open again once he’s licked Josh’s fingers clean, his eyes dilated and determination set behind them.

“Bond me. Please.” Josh begs him.

His predatory gaze drops to Josh’s cock where it still lays hard against his abdomen, come dripping onto his stomach, then back up to Josh’s face that’s contorted in an aching sort of agony.

“Lemme give you a few more first. Want you to be clear-headed enough to remember it.”

Josh whines, frustration catching in his throat. 

His skin is scorching, Tyler notes, but his body quivers like he was freezing. Kissing seems to pacify him for a moment, distracts him long enough to relax as he’s pulled to the bed and into Tyler’s lap.

“Wait- I can’t- something missing- not right.” Josh speaks in broken off sentences. He thrashes a little in the nest, whining in distress and eyeing the open door across the room.

“I know what you need, pup.” Tyler kisses him quickly before standing up from the bed and crossing the room to shut the door, then back to Josh, gripping the side of the bed-frame and pushing the bed into the corner of the room against the two walls, very thankful that the bed slides easily over the carpeted floors.

Josh almost instantaneously quiets down, wrapping himself up into the nest and pulling Tyler inside of it with surprising strength.

“You just needed to feel safe didn’t you, pup?” Tyler brushes his sweaty curls from his forehead as Josh nods guiltily and allows himself to be pulled back into Tyler’s lap.

His skin prickles and stings like he’s been burned wherever Tyler touches him, and it only makes the empty feeling inside of him grow more unsettling. His body moves to entice Tyler to knot him, grinding back and forth over his cock until Tyler groans.

“Josh.” Tyler cradles his head in his hands as he licks into his mouth. “ **Come**.”

The command is muffled in between their kisses but Josh is helpless to obey it anyway, tears forming in his eyes clenched shut in momentary relief as he loses control of his hips.

“Again. Again.“ Josh demands before he’s even come down from the second one. The orgasm only seemed to make him more desperate.

“I will.” Tyler promises. He manages to raise him up on his knees and hold him steady enough to slip his cock inside, so wet that he’s able to push in easily, and beginning to rock up into him slowly. It only adds to Josh’s impatient whining. Tyler shushes him, and runs a finger up the underside of Josh’s length to gather up a bit of come that’s dribbled down there, then pops the finger into his mouth.

“Insatiable.” Josh teases him wryly, digging his fingers into Tyler’s shoulders and starting to move his hips again, his mouth dropped open and panting heavily.

“That’s a big word. And it’s rich coming from somebody that needs it up the ass to survive.” Tyler smiles, laying a supportive hand on the small of Josh’s sweat-slick back.

“You’re not doing a very good job of making sure that I live through the night.” Josh frowns at Tyler’s too slow and languid pace that keeps him right on the edge of unsatisfying and too much at the same time, the angle making it impossible to hit his prostate head on.

“Be patient.”

“Bite me.” 

“Watch the attitude.” Tyler grips his waist and forces him to sit still in punishment.

“No. I mean bite me. Claim me.” Josh barks out a quick laugh him at the misunderstanding.

“Oh. You ready?”

“Been ready for days now.”

Tyler can already feel his knot forming hot and heavy after making Josh come twice with no relief of his own in between. His rut making it nearly impossible to last when the urge to knot is painful to ignore.

“You sure you don’t want a ring first?” Tyler leans in to lick over Josh’s chest, knowing it’s a sensitive spot for him.

“You’re worried about hitting relationship milestones in the wrong order now? Of all times?” Josh complains, thighs straining in exertion.

Tyler peppers a few kisses over the junction of his neck and shoulder, not able to hold back knotting Josh for much longer.

“Just ask me again. One more time.”

“Tyler. Please bond me.”

“ **Come**.”

Tyler sinks his teeth into Josh’s mating gland until he tastes blood, and then bites down further. At the same time, Josh’s back bows forward as another orgasm is dragged out of him. He flinches so suddenly that Tyler loses his grip on his waist as Josh submits, his hands accidentally slipping on Josh’s sweaty skin. He just barely manages to yank Josh’s hips down and shove his knot inside of him in time.

There’s an overwhelming euphoria that strikes through their chests which blindsides them both, the feeling just on the right side of painful. The pain blossoms into a gentle bliss and Josh goes boneless in his arms, his chin hooked over Tyler’s shoulder, the rest of his body slumps against Tyler’s completely. His arms hang limp by his sides and he sits heavy in Tyler’s lap. Tyler comes for what feels like hours, gasping into his bite in Josh’s neck and clutching onto him tightly to keep him from falling over.

The thrumming underneath the surface comes to a focal point in their chests, tying them together like a red thread. It’s disorienting. He’s hyper-sensitive of his body but numb to his surroundings, all too aware that he can feel Tyler’s emotions like they are his own— confusion at first, then understanding and finally elation when Tyler realizes they’re fully tied together in more ways than just by his knot.

Eventually, Tyler moves to grasp the back of Josh’s knees very carefully, mindful not to jostle them around too much and hurt Josh in the process, urging him to pull his legs out from underneath him where he was kneeling, and encourage him to wrap his legs around his waist instead so Josh’s weight was fully seated on his lap. Josh hums in appreciation, loving the way it allows Tyler’s cock to nudge up into him that much further inside of him.

For a while, Josh floats in a space somewhere between focused and spaced out completely. It leaves him breathless, a sense of security that blankets them in a way he’s never felt before.

Tyler laps at the wound until it stops bleeding while Josh comes back to himself in pieces. It’s complicated to get them turned around into a position to rest again, Josh getting upset when Tyler has to pull out to rearrange them within the nest, eventually resigning himself and slipping back inside of him just to quiet Josh’s cries even though Tyler has gone mostly soft and over sensitive.

It’s like the bite had reversed their roles. For Josh, heats usually mean restless and anxious orgasms at best, feeling twitchy, distressed, sick, and unable to take care of his most basic needs by himself. For Tyler, ruts usually meant the opposite. Meticulous in every action he does, hyper conscious of his decisions and the need to control everything around him.

But now, he feels a wave of relief when the bond seems to have broken his fever, after his body had gotten what he needed he feels relaxed and sated. Sated! During his heat! His mind exclaims. But Tyler is quiet for once during his rut. Soft and introspective as his fingertips play up and down on the ridges of Josh’s spine. Josh can feel the alpha inside of Tyler laying tame and timid through their bond. It feels nice being on the other side of it for once.

They’re both drowsily pulled back under a semi-conscious haze even after their long sleep the previous night, exhaustion catching up to them from the overexertion of emotions. The distant sound of the forest surrounding Tyler’s home lulling them to sleep.

—

Josh is violently awoken from his sleep from a pain in his chest, somehow knowing that the pain isn’t his own. It’s Tyler’s. The source of his sudden awakening is sobbing next to him, scratching at the skin over his heart.

“What’s wrong?!” Josh holds the alpha’s head in his hands.

“It hurts!” Tyler’s voice breaks into hysteria, and clutches onto Josh like he’s about to leave for good.

“What does?” Josh is awake and alert at the broken sound of Tyler’s voice.

Tyler’s lip wobbles and fat tears roll down his cheeks as he claws at himself. Josh gently grabs his wrists to stop him from hurting himself.

“Make it go away! It burns!” Tyler scrabbles to grab ahold of Josh’s neck and bring him closer. His nails accidentally dig into Josh’s neck a little too harshly and Josh winces from being scruffed while the area is still so sensitive from Tyler’s bite.

“Tyler, I don’t understand.” Josh pries Tyler’s fingers open from where they dig into his neck and bring them to his lips instead to kiss each palm.

“You have to bite me back! Why don’t you want to bond me back!” Tyler sobs. “It hurts so much.”

Josh rolls on top of him to keep him from thrashing. He can feel the edges of discomfort and discontent through their bond, it leaves a hollow ache in his heart and he knows it must be ten times worse for Tyler himself. Tyler’s amped up emotions due to his rut probably contributed to the pain making him more needy than usual, but he was crying like their bond hadn’t taken.

Josh reaches up to check his own bite. His fingers barely brush the wound but it sends a sharp and angry pulse of pleasure through him and subsequently through Tyler because of their bond.

The bite had definitely taken.

It occurred to him that maybe Tyler just needed the bite as much as he did, not only for reassurance sake but to strengthen the bond itself. He wondered why all alphas in the past denied this intense urge to be bonded back just because of their pride. It was hard to believe that alphas would hide and endure this kind of desperate pain just so they could ‘own’ multiple omegas.

“Is this what you want?” He implores Tyler to look at him, kneeling down on Tyler’s arms when he won’t stop trying to claw his heart out of his chest.

“Yes!” Tyler cries, attempting to throw Josh off of him.

Josh has half a mind to try and get Tyler to knot him so Tyler could be more clear-headed first, but he doubts he would even be able to get it up with how much pain he was in.

“It’s okay. I’ll bite you back. I want to.” Josh assures him, nosing over Tyler’s mating gland to scent him. It only makes him cry harder, stunning Josh when he feels Tyler’s distress. He climbs off of him and Tyler immediately takes over, wrapping himself around Josh in an inescapable hold.

Nervous excitement pools in Josh’s stomach, sucking a hickey over Tyler’s mating gland first to get the alpha used to the sensitive sensation the spot gives, using it as a cover to build up his own courage.

“Please, Josh!” Tyler gets choked up on his own tears, near hyperventilating.

There isn’t any explosion of white-hot heat or mind numbing ecstasy when he bites down onto Tyler’s neck; instead it’s a blissful soothing high that clicks into place between them, instantly pacifying the alphas’ heart-ache. Tyler squeezes him so tightly it’s painful, never letting up as Josh bites as hard as he can. The alpha whimpers pitifully into his ear.

“Thank you, thank you” Tyler breathes over and over again as Josh releases his bite, Tyler moving to lick his blood out of Josh’s mouth in a way that should be disgusting but is inexplicably passionate instead.

It does send them into a stupor as they calm down, Tyler stops shaking like a leaf and the tension in his posture relaxes. They’re definitely scent drunk off each other, muscles involuntarily twitch and jumping at random like they were high, giddy laughs shared between them from happiness. When Tyler tries to hug him again, it’s through great effort, his arms jerk robotically, adrenaline making it impossible to move fluidly.

“I’m sorry.” Tyler wipes his eyes a little embarrassed at his desperate behavior now that he got what he was crying for.

“You’re probably the only alpha to ever apologize during their rut.” Josh whispers fondly.

“Need you closer.” Tyler states, his instincts still commanding his thoughts. He squeezes him again but there isn’t any space between them to close in short of climbing inside each other.

A lightbulb goes off in Josh’s head at the thought, worming a hand between them to grasp ahold of Tyler cock laying half hard between them and attempting to get it inside of him. The first brush of his fingertips to his cock seems to remind Tyler that he even has one, Josh can see the moment Tyler’s need for comfort switch to the need to breed, dick swelling in his hand.

He realizes halfway through Tyler knotting him, that while his fever has broken and he’s able to think consciously, Tyler is the opposite, forehead hot to the touch and mumbling incoherently into his neck as he fucks him. Josh technically still has two days left of his heat, but only feels the remnants of it clinging to him. The side effects of a bond he guesses— cures him of his desperation and infects Tyler with it instead— at least for this cycle. He could live with that, actually able to enjoy his orgasms instead of needing them to be over with so he can rest.

They never make it back to sleep, too wrapped up in taking turns biting each other again to reopen the wounds to make sure the bond is deep and strong.

—

Tyler alerts him that someone’s at the door like the guard dog he is during his rut, sitting up straighter in his seat on the couch suddenly and growling towards the front door.

Josh’s nose tells him who it is before he opens it, a scent like soft water, still recognizable to him even with his nose muted to anyone that isn’t Tyler during his heat.

He doesn’t think twice before getting up from his place beside Tyler and opening the door, apparently underestimating Tyler’s possessiveness post-bond. The door is halfway open, revealing Mark’s smiling face before Tyler comes up behind where Josh stands. He yanks around Josh to face him and slams him up against the door, shutting it with the combined force of their bodies against it, and growls into his mouth.

“Hey, take it easy, Tyler.” Josh raises his hands up to show he accepted defeat. “It’s Mark. He’s not a threat, don’t be a knot head.” Josh mumbles into his mouth, smacking him with a kiss.

Tyler’s grip in his shirt releases slowly, and takes a step back from crowding Josh against the door.

“Sorry.” He runs a hand over his shaven head and stands back in the foyer a little ways to give them space, keeping a purposeful eye on the door as Josh opens it again to reveal Mark’s smiling face has dropped in terror.

“Hey.” Josh shrugs nonchalantly like he hadn’t just gotten roughed up into Tyler’s front door.

“That was terrifying. I thought he was going to eat you.” Mark leans around Josh to take a peak at Tyler scowling at him. “Why’s he looking at me like that?” Mark takes an uneasy step back at Tyler’s piercing gaze.

“Because you’re too close to his den and his mate while he’s in rut. That’ll do that to him.”

Mark takes another step back on the porch and Tyler relaxes minutely.

“He’s never been threatened by me before. I’m a beta I’m not going to steal you away.” Mark laughs nervously.

“What’s up, why’d you stop by?” Josh dodges Mark’s questioning.

“What’s up?” Mark asks incredulously. “You haven’t answered my texts in almost a week I was worried you two died. But now I see why. This is an intense rut he’s going through.”

“Not just an intense rut.”

“Huh?”

“I’m in heat. Can’t you smell it?”

“I can’t smell anything over his stench. Wait- you’re spending your heat in the same house with him? While he’s in rut?”

Mark looks at him in confusion and worry. He’s a good friend.

“Put it together, Mark.” Josh sighs tiredly rubbing his eyes.

When Mark’s eyebrows knit together further incluelessness, Josh pulls down the collar of his shirt to reveal his bond bite. Mark’s eyes bug out of his head and he gasps loudly, scaring Tyler and making the alpha jump to attention.

“You-!” Mark points an accusatory finger at Tyler, it’s a mistake, Tyler taking it as a provocation.

Mark’s jaw dropped in shock is the last thing he sees before Tyler has had enough, the door is slammed shut and locked, and Josh is thrown over his shoulder, carrying him away from the door. Josh laughs heartily as he hears Mark’s spluttering through the door.

“Don’t tell anybody!” Josh yells loud enough for Mark to hear, giggling when Tyler deposits him on the couch and climbs on top of him.

Mark was right about Tyler’s rut being intense.

Josh figures out over the next few days that he can get Tyler to do what he wants so long as he’s distracted. In order to get him to eat, though it’s frustrating, Josh has to sit in his lap, lazily grinding until Tyler goes a little stupid and extremely suggestible in his lust-hazy state. Only then is Josh able to hold food up to his mouth and Tyler will do anything he asks.

Tyler’s also gone mostly non-verbal, and is intent on re-opening Josh’s bond bite every chance he gets, wanting it to really stick. Tyler knows it’s a weak point for them both now, exploiting that fact to the fullest to get his way in bed, but Josh was more clear-headed than he was post-bond.

While the alpha is extremely greedy, he’s also very giving, surprising Josh when he whines to make sure that Josh gets off every time he does too. Josh hoped every heat would be like this from now on, thoroughly enjoying being able to remember himself while he’s getting filled up, though he could wished Tyler would be a little more present to remember it as well.

Tyler’s bellicosity comes to a head when Josh gets up to get a glass of water in the middle of the night. Tyler is sleeping heavily, not even flinching when Josh’s knees crack as he stands from the bed, hobbling a bit awkwardly towards the door with a toy still stuffed up inside of him upon Tyler’s insistence before he would go to sleep.

He doesn’t hear Tyler wake up as soon as he steps a toe out of the bedroom. Tyler tackles him to the carpeted floor in the hallway, grabbing him around his middle, dragging him back inside and tossing him onto the bed, snarling at him. Josh bounces on the nest, looking at Tyler in disbelief.

“I wasn’t trying to leave the den.” Josh offers, rolling onto his back in submission, presenting his stomach and stretching out his neck.

Tyler takes this well, rushing over to pull up Josh’s hoodie and shove it up to his armpits, purring when he find’s Josh isn’t wearing anything underneath. He ignores Josh’s cock stirring in excitement at being manhandled, to which Josh is thankful that Tyler seems to be too out of it to tease him over. Instead he noses over Josh’s stomach purring happily at how their scents merge there, Josh being filled up with Tyler’s come.

“Don’t growl at me, you’re supposed to take care of me.” Josh argues sternly, whacking Tyler’s head bluntly with a pillow.

Tyler sits up and and brings his hand down to spank the base of the toy between Josh’s thighs roughly, shoving it up into him while he bares his teeth.

“Mine.”

Josh whines high in his throat, kneeing Tyler in the shoulder at the sudden display of aggression.

“I just wanted a glass of water.” Josh rasps, trying to recover from the spike of pleasure from the plug hitting that spot inside of him sharply. “I wasn’t trying to leave you. Get a grip.”

Josh’s head spins when his world is turned upside down and he registers that Tyler is carrying him again, this time to the bathroom. He thrashes half heartedly, unable to stop the burst of laughter that erupts out of his throat at the absurdity of Tyler’s behavior.

The light is flicked on, momentarily blinding them both. He’s set down in front of the sink, Tyler turning the handle on, holding his hand under the stream and letting the water pool in his hand.

“Drink.” He orders.

Josh pulls his hoodie back down to cover his growing erection and rolls his eyes.

“Tyler. I’ve seen your bank account. I know you can afford cups. I’m not going to drink out of your hand just because you’re too jealous to let me out of the room. Which, by the way, is ridiculous.”

Tyler relents, crossing his arms instead and waiting for Josh to drink.

“Go ahead.”

“You’re really going to make me drink out of the tap just because you don’t want me to leave the bedroom?”

Josh isn’t above drinking out of the tap. Far from it. But the possessiveness is a little much even coming from Tyler.

Tyler cups the back of his neck and tries to bend him over to convey him to drink, but Josh resists.

“Drink.” Tyler insists.

“I can do it myself. I don’t need to be shoved around. Stop treating me like a toy or that’s the only thing you’ll be fucking for the remainder of your rut. Go wait on the bed.” Josh orders, no anger behind his words but his tone gets Tyler to leave him alone anyway.

Josh leans over, sticking his head under the stream and gulping down a few mouthfuls of water in relief, unaware Tyler was still behind him until the alpha makes a distraught noise.

He realizes that bending over in front of the alpha is essentially offering himself up on a silver platter, but Tyler is waiting obediently for him to finish first.

“I thought I said to wait for me on the bed.” Josh sighs, glancing up into the mirror from his position hunched over the counter, but Tyler isn’t visible in the reflection.

Two unsure hands on the outsides of his thighs clues him in that Tyler was kneeling behind him.

“I’m sorry.” Tyler whispers, kissing up the back of his thigh.

“That’s distracting.” Josh says, allowing him continue as he sips from the stream.

“Not a toy.” Tyler assures him, biting the crease of the back of Josh’s thigh.

Josh straightens up immediately.

“Tyler...” he sighs in exasperation.

“Let me.” Tyler pleads, jolting the toy inside of Josh with a skillful hand.

Josh plants his hands on the counter and looks up at himself in the mirror, looking tired and wrecked.

“Okay.”

Tyler pulls the toy out of him gently, Josh laughs at the sound it makes when it bounces around in the tub where Tyler throws it.

He then pulls up Josh’s hoodie, sliding his hand underneath it to Josh’s back and pressing down until Josh gets the message and bends forward again.

It tickles a little when Tyler starts to suck at the come dripping down his leg first, leaving teasing little red marks in a wobbly trail up his thigh until he reaches Josh’s entrance.

The first brush of Tyler’s tongue always catches him off guard, but it’s acutely worse when he’s already so sensitive and worked up. 

He’s kind about making sure it’s good for Josh, purposeful in his movements and pulling out every last trick he knows that’ll make Josh come undone.

For an alpha that’s adamant about keeping his come inside of Josh, he does a fine job of licking it out of him with the addition of two talented fingers massaging Josh’s prostate until his legs start to shake. Tyler fingers him until the come dripping out of him turns to slick instead, then replaces his fingers with his tongue, lapping at his hole until Josh starts to push back against him wanting more.

Josh watches himself in the mirror. He watches his cheeks grow more flushed, his eyes grow heavy in arousal, the way his hands grip the counter top in desperation to hold onto any control he had over Tyler who was quickly and skillfully reducing him to putty.

Tyler’s fingers press into Josh’s thighs hard enough to hurt, and Josh groans and rocks forward, thinking about the possibility of ten finger shaped bruises left behind. Tyler chases his movement, pulling his hips back into place with a strong grip and using one of his knees to knock Josh’s legs further apart.

Josh thinks he’s going to going to die from lack of air when Tyler’s hand sneaks beneath his hoodie again to tease his cock. The alpha makes a noise of pleasant surprise when he finds Josh already wet and leaking, making the slide much easier. He lavishes the head with his thumb and eats him out with broad strokes of his tongue that have both of them groaning. Josh shakily reaches down to wrap his own hand around Tyler’s, squeezing tighter in hopes Tyler would understand because he couldn’t form any words to tell him to do so.

It’s unfair how quickly he hurdles to the edge of his release, Tyler ignores his gasp of warning, and Josh comes seconds later, staining the inside of his hoodie and writhing away from Tyler’s mouth and hand milking him until he was ready to cry.

Tyler turns him around slowly, rising to his feet, wincing at his sore knees as he does so, he wipes his slick-wet mouth with the back of his hand and flashes Josh a satisfied smile.

Josh whimpers, his own legs quivering so much they threaten to give out.

“Come on, Bambi.” Tyler kisses his nose and lifts him off his feet and onto the counter.

“Want my help?” Josh offers to let Tyler knot his hand. Tyler shakes his head.  


“I uh- already-“

No wonder he was lucid enough to be able to speak in complete sentences.

“Just from taking care of me?” Josh teases him, secretly impressed that Tyler was able to come without knotting anything in his condition. Maybe he was finally coming down.

Tyler flushes shyly, reaching to lift Josh’s hoodie and avoiding the omegas attempts at slapping his hands away in embarrassment.

“Look at you, messy pup. You couldn’t think to lift up your hoodie first before you came inside it?”

“You’re one to talk.” Josh gives a watery laugh and lifts Tyler’s t-shirt to reveal that the alpha had soaked through the front of his briefs. “I couldn’t even think to turn off the sink, let alone worry about laundry. Sorry in advance for your water bill.”

Tyler looks down at the sink beside Josh’s legs and turns it off for him.

“I’ll charge it to your card, okay? Now let me get you a new hoodie. Stay here.” Tyler shuffles to the closet.

Josh is too weak to protest, he thinks Tyler’sgoing to have to carry him around for a week from how sore he was.

“It’s yours, not mine.” Josh confesses when Tyler returns.

“What’s mine is yours. Even before we knew we were mates.” Tyler shrugs, helping him out of his hoodie.

He feels a bit awkward sitting naked on the counter, quickly grabbing the fresh one from Tyler and pulling it over his head, reveling in the softness and the scent of his mate surrounding him.

“I used to steal your clothes during my rut when Jenna was my partner. It helped me so much, I didn’t know how to go through a rut without it after I did.” Tyler confesses.

Josh relaxes his back against the mirror behind him.

“So did I.” Josh reveals. “Your pillow too, once.”  


“Debby wasn’t bothered by it? Knowing you were getting off to another alpha’s scent?”

”No. Was Jenna? I’m sure she picked up on you using my scent to pop a knot.”

”I think she knew before I did that we were... you know.” Tyler smiles.

They were gone for each other before they’d even realized their feelings.

“Stupid.” Tyler shakes his head.

“We got it together eventually.” Josh smiles lazily.

Yeah, they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that keeps coming back to read even with my long breaks in between updates. I can’t wait to finish this! :)


	13. Chapter 13

It’s not hard to hide at first. There’s no public appearances, no interviews, no one gets close enough to detect the difference in their scents. 

Even so, Josh chooses an outfit that covers his neck for the first set of music videos they put out for the new era. The green hoodie is warm and the hood is pulled firmly over his head. It’s the last set of videos where Tyler will wear the black paint- faded but still present. Enough to cover up the healing scar in the shape of Josh’s teeth sitting high on his shoulder.

_“We don’t have to hide, but we don’t have to make a statement about it either”_ the words bounce around in Tyler’s head a lot like the echoes in Trench.

The first performance in over a year sneaks up on them, slowly and then suddenly. What had seemed like a faraway confrontation lurking around the corner was finally at their doorstep.

In the end, they decide to let it speak for itself.

Going onstage for the first time in so many months was already nerve racking enough, but the ever present and underlying knowledge that the minute the step onstage, their secret will be out is enough to render Josh petrified and unable to move.

His body stands cold and unmoving at the side stage entrance like he’s been commanded to do so. He hasn’t been, but Tyler is still the one to approach him and comfort him back to life, nuzzling against his neck gently enough to warm him up in a rare display of softness before a show. Usually too amped up and closed off before a show starts.

There isn’t any makeup to be worn this tour. No protection. No barrier between them and the audience besides the masks. Performing so openly in front of them feels raw. Gnaws on him throughout the whole show like sandpaper, leaving him vulnerable.

It’s hardly a surprise that they are glued to social media the moment they step off stage, a whirlwind performance that will be cemented in their minds forever as the start of a new era in their lives and also in their music.

People get it wrong at first.

Hundreds of tweets all similarly excited that they’ve bonded to their partners instead of each other makes them laugh, apparently they’d done a better job at hiding their partnership than they’d expected.

They figure if Jenna nor Debby never step into the spotlight, everyone would be none the wiser, but it’s unfair to ask Debby—whose career is based in the limelight— to hide herself away to protect them.

It takes a couple months, but it’s eventually apparent that she doesn’t hold Josh’s bite on her neck. The alarm bells that go off on twitter can be heard from around the country the moment fans put it together.

They’re together when it happens. Sitting next to one another with two hearty bowls of cereal in front of them even though it’s 3 in the afternoon on a Sunday. Management calls before they even know the world has put two and two together.   


They know why management is calling. They don’t answer.

It’s a surprising outpour of happiness and support from fans. The close up photographs of their bond bites from their public appearances is a little jarring and strange, to see something so clearly private between the two of them being documented and analyzed and memorialized forever. But it’s a welcome sensation that Josh has come to realize as relief. Not having to hide.

Tyler pats his knee when the alpha realizes Josh is motionless in his place again, thinking he’s gone rigid with fear. Josh smiles to let him know he’s okay, and shows Tyler the picture he was looking at. It’s an in-depth analysis of Josh’s bite, pointing out the blatant similarities of crookedness of the bite with the crookedness of Tyler’s uneven teeth.

“Being unable to afford braces when I was younger really sold us out to the public didn’t it?” Tyler shakes his head in disbelief.

Josh laughs good naturedly. “Domino effect.”

They go back to their cereal.

Mark is the only phone call they answer. Even their parents get put on hold for now, mostly because they know Mark will eventually show up uninvited if they don’t answer him now.

“Do you think you unconsciously picked a cycle partner you knew you couldn’t bond with, because deep down you knew you and Josh were made for each other?” Mark asks Tyler as soon as he answers.

Tyler snorts, putting the call on speakerphone and setting his phone down onto the table.

“What theories have you been reading that brought you to that conclusion?” Josh asks him placatingly.

“Don’t psychoanalyze me, Mark.” Tyler warns before the beta can launch into theories of his own.

“He already does that enough to himself.” Josh cuts in.

They share a look over their bowls of cereal and Josh feels like he’s 21 again, seeing Tyler for the first time. Tyler gives him a secret smile like he’s thinking the same thing. Tyler leans over and slowly places a kiss behind Josh’s ear where their matching ‘X’ tattoo is. It’s a spot Tyler has favored lately, intimate enough to reassure Josh, (and make him blush) but also innocent enough to do in public spaces. Josh just thinks Tyler likes to secretly scent him as he does it, but he doesn’t mention it.

The spell is broken when Mark speaks up again, and Tyler takes over talking with him so Josh can get a little lost in his thoughts.

Mark promises to handle management for them again, but they know it’s inevitable that they’ll have to face the wrath of their bosses for bonding without asking permission first.

Speaking to management will be only the first of many hoops they’ll have to jump and squeeze through in order to get the respect they deserve from the public, but with the support of their families and fans behind them,the hoops won’t seem so small.

He doesn’t care about managements’ opinion of them, but there’s still a small part of him that wants to win over the portion of their fanbase that does support their relationship. He doesn’t owe it to them, and definitely doesn’t need to earn their approval, but somehow he still craves it.

Fuck em’. Josh thinks to himself.

Tyler reads Josh’s mind just by the expression on his face.

“Fuck em’.” Tyler says aloud.

“Yeah. Fuck em’.” Josh agrees.

With their kind on their side, they’ll be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to end this short and sweet. Thank you to everyone that stuck around.


End file.
